Of Cats and Kitsunes
by S.P.3518
Summary: After Universe 7's miraculous victory in the Tournament of Power, a celebration is held. At the request of Bulma, Lord Beerus personally invites the other Gods of Destruction. In the process, he rekindles his best friendship with Lord Liquiir of Universe 8 and over the span of several days their relationship slowly evolves into something so much more than he ever dared to imagine.
1. The Invitation

**The Invitation**

 **Hello, how are you all doing? Before I do anything else, I want to say that I don't own Dragon Ball Super or any of its characters. That right obviously goes to Akira Toriyama.**

 **Now then, this is going to be a semi-short romantic story (about ten chapters, at the most) between Lord Beerus and Lord Liquiir in Beerus' POV. If you don't know or remember who Liquiir is, he's the God of Destruction of the Eighth Universe and he looks like a Japanese kitsune, three tails and all (which can split into nine).**

 **Anyway, without any further ado, enjoy!**

* * *

I watched in mild amusement as I bounced one of my Cataclysmic Orbs on the end of my tail expertly to pass the time. Ever since I learned how to bounce these on myself without them exploding, I've always felt an attachment to them. A strange sense of fondness. Knowing that I can just knock them around so casually when entire worlds would be obliterated from one touch is satisfying and it makes me feel powerful. Powerful and in complete control.

I'm sitting with my legs crossed on a somewhat tall stump overlooking the lake on my planet, the usual place I sit when something bothers me and requires thinking, or simply when I need a place to escape. I quietly sighed in annoyance. At the moment I'm waiting for a celebration that I know isn't going to end well. There are only six more hours to go.

Damn that Bulma. What's with her? She throws so many parties. It's like _every day_ is a holiday for her. I swear this addiction is the direct result of her being so rich. Normally, I wouldn't care, because parties _this_ large mean a lot of food for me to eat. But she expects me to invite _all_ of the other Gods of Destruction. Unfortunately, that, of course, includes the ones we brought back with the Super Dragon Balls. I _just_ got finished fighting them! Give me a break! I barely even like _any_ of them! No, _tolerate_ is a much better word. If they tolerate and barely like me, assuming they like me at all, why should I act all friendly with them?

I understand why I'm not generally liked by my peers. I fell asleep for a decent amount of time...fifty years...during the All-Universe Hide and Seek Tournament, an event held by Grand Zeno, the Omni-King. Understandably, he became furious, and the other Destroyers had to calm him down. Ever since then, everyone began or continued to dislike me. In my defense, I was tired, but I still should have attempted to stay awake. Or, at the very least, quit. I'm not sure the latter was a possible option, but I still should have asked. Hindsight's 20/20.

Anyway, after using my - excuse me, _our_ \- wish to revive everyone, I did gain a _little_ more respect. I can't stress how little, though. To get Bulma's party guests, I had to make nice and invite everyone myself. In-person. Her terrible idea. And some of them didn't make it easy! Champa, for one, because he believed that I "owed him." Which is absolutely ridiculous! We brought his fat ass back! One would think he would be a little more grateful, but apparently, that's too much to ask of him!

I angrily huffed and flicked the Cataclysmic Orb at one of the nearby planets orbiting my temple. The planet exploded in a brilliant display of light akin to fireworks, lifting my spirits a little. I only have to deal with him and the others for a couple of hours, so just keep it together, Beerus. That's easier said than done, however, _especially_ in Quitela's case. He was even _more_ annoying and unbearable. Like he always is. "Oh, sure, I _can_ go. Just admit I'm better than you in every single way, then I _might_ consider going." I did nothing of the sort. Instead, my response consisted of laughter, insulting his intelligence for assuming I'd do something so shameful, and then taking my leave.

Needless to say, I should have left sooner. I shouldn't have even attempted to invite him, but I did. Why? It's because of that blue-haired woman! Forget Goku, _Bulma's_ the luckiest mortal in the multiverse! I hate to admit it, but that human woman has a real chokehold on me. She knows how much I love her planet's delicious food and she happily abuses that fact. I'm clearly aware of this, but everything just tastes too amazing for me to actually do anything about it. Damn the irresistible allure of Earth's cuisines!

Still, no amount of meals is worth turning me into a fool with no sense of self-respect. Like Vegeta, I do have pride in myself. Moving on from my tirade, at the very least I did have more pleasant experiences with some of the other Destroyers. Lord Liquiir, especially. Before we had a falling out because of the aforementioned Hide and Seek Tournament, we were pretty close. I'd even say we were friends. I always got along much better with him than any of my other peers. If my most recent memory of him is anything to go by, aside from the food, he's probably going to be the _only_ good thing that happens at this party...

* * *

I sighed and rubbed the back of my neck as I flew to Liquiir's planet in my Hexahedron. I then sat down with my legs crossed. Unlike with the others, I feel like I have to put a little more thought into _this_ meeting. If I can, I want to salvage whatever scrap of friendship I have left with him.

When I more or less invited everyone else, I just did everything off the cuff. "Hey, one of the mortals I know wants to have a celebration. If you want to come, I don't care. I'm just letting you know." I am _not_ exaggerating. But I still should put more effort into _his_ invitation.

What should I say, though? How do I approach it in a way that will help remedy our past companionship? I'm not exactly known for my tact, although he already knows this very well. Hm...well, he has always been an understanding and relaxed being. Jovial, even. He might not actually care what I say or how I say it. With him, the thought might be enough. I just don't want to mess this up and this may be my last chance.

Actually, no. I'll stop trying so hard and just say what I've said to the others, but with a slight change of words. I stood up and stretched my arms and legs. I then took a look around the vehicle. It's times like this I wonder if Whis not being here is a good thing or a bad thing. He sometimes offers good advice, although most of the time it's annoying, boring, and too long.

There we go, I can see the reflection of my destination, prompting me to turn my head back to look at it more clearly. Liquiir's planet...it's been a long time since I've been here. Because it's the traditional spherical shape, unlike mine and many others, it's a lot bigger than my own. It also has an expansive forest and a very beautiful white sanded beach. I am the proud owner of a lake and a stretch of trees that can barely be qualified as woods. I also have ponds with fish in it and even an aquarium, as do most of the other Gods of Destruction. I'm living the dream!

Even so, there is _one_ key difference between my planet and his: the lower part of mine has a shape similar to a square pyramid flipped upside-down and the top is made of a giant, thick dead tree with several buildings on it. That's pretty cool if you ask me. His humble abode is also within a huge tree, but unlike mine, it's alive and covered in leaves and flowers and vines and just about anything else you imagine one would have. Furthermore, there are several smaller but still large treetop buildings that make everything up in a nice hexagonal pattern. All of them are connected by wooden walkways and the main structure, his, is in the middle.

It's very impressive. However, its design is fairly common on his planet. His people, the Kitsunians, believe very strongly in nature, a trait that has been passed down to him and kept throughout all these years. I can appreciate nature, but my people, the Sphinxians, were never too big on it. Huh. From what I've heard, he still visits his homeworld now and then. Neither I nor Champa has visited our homeworld in...ever, now that I think about it. As soon as we took the offer to become Destroyers we took it and never looked back.

That's probably one of the reasons why he's loved throughout his universe and when civilizations are visited by him they normally don't think "Shit, we're dead." He's still the same person he was as when he first became a God of Destruction. He still remembers his roots, no pun intended. Well, he does boast occasionally, but who doesn't every once in a while? Before I get homesick or something, I think it's time to land. There's a building with a landing pad atop of it, so should I go there? My gaze drifted toward the beach.

No, I have a strong feeling that he'll take advantage of the nice day. Now that I think about it, is there anything _but_ a nice day on his planet? It _is_ custom made for him, so I can't imagine that he would choose to have horrible weather like rain or snow or hail. If it's anything like mine, it will _always_ be warm and sunny.

I slowed the vehicle down to a stop and proceeded to move backward. The nice thing about the Hexahedron is that it's powered and controlled by ki, allowing for extremely complex and fluid movements, movements no mortal craft can ever hope to achieve. Not that what I'm doing right now is amazing. Most vehicles can move backward. But can mortal transports stop instantly, almost as if all you need to do is blink to stop them? Can they target someone's ki signature and teleport to them? Are they capable of traveling to other universes? I think not. As long as you have ki, the possibilities of your mobility are limitless.

It looks like my assumption was correct: I can see Liquiir himself, lounging in a deep red and black colored beach chair underneath a large matching umbrella. He's reading a book it looks like. He hasn't shown that he's aware of my presence, but he must have sensed me coming from miles away.

Finally, after two hours or so of traveling through space with no breaks, outside contact, and only my thoughts, I made landfall on the soft glittering sand about fifteen feet away from his location. Still no visible reaction from him. I'm a different story.

As soon as I stepped out of the Hexahedron I took a deep breath. Immediately afterward I placed my right paw on my chest. Why is my heart beating faster than usual, even if it's only by a little? Am I _that_ nervous about this? Even if I am, I can't go back now. I've come too far. I walked toward him, my footsteps feeling heavier by the second.

It's not that I'm nervous, I just feel _so awkward_! I haven't talked to him in years. Maybe I really _should_ have spent more time on what I'd say to him. The thought of all this _tension_ , at least on my end, being in the air never once crossed my mind. I stopped about five feet away from Liquiir, who still hasn't acknowledged me in _any_ way. Either he's reading the greatest book of all time or he doesn't want me here. I quietly sighed. I really have no idea what to do.

L **ord Liquiir:** "Beerus, I know I'm gorgeous, but do you think you could stop staring? You're making me blush," he suddenly said while putting his book down on a small table to his left. Oddly enough, it's between a second beach chair and there are two drinks on it as well. He turned his head and gave me a sly smile. I gave a small one in return. Heh. He's still the same cheeky bastard. Another trait that Kitsunians are notorious for having and has also been passed down to him is their mischievous and often too playful nature. Still, I'll be damned if he can't get rid of tension.

 **Lord Beerus:** "Of course. Forgive me." He shrugged and waved his right paw dismissively.

 **Lord Liquiir:** "I assure you, I am not offended. So," he started while standing up to face me and crossing his arms with a questioning look, "what brings you here? I have a feeling you didn't show up just to frolic in the waves." Despite his arms being crossed, it's not in any way supposed to be threatening. Like I prefer to have my paws tucked behind my back, which they are right now, his posture of choice is having his arms folded in front of him. It's just how he usually stands.

 **Lord Beerus:** "I-" I started, but no words came out. My original plan was to paraphrase what I said to everyone else, but now I'm having second thoughts. I don't think that it would be appropriate.

 **Lord Liquiir:** "You...?" Liquiir gently pushed.

 **Lord Beerus:** "I...I..." Damn it, when did this get so hard? I gulped and turned my head to the ocean with my eyes closed. Maybe it would be easier to say what I want to say if I'm not looking at him. "I'm...sorry," I said quietly in a kind of struggled voice. I'm not used to sincerely apologizing. I always feel so vulnerable and weak whenever I do.

 **Lord Liquiir:** "Sorry for what?" he asked back. I opened my eyes and looked at him again.

 **Lord Beerus:** "For almost getting all of the universes erased. It was a stupid decision on my part to take a nap in the middle of the tournament." He tilted his head a little to the right and gave a thoughtful hum.

 **Lord Liquiir:** "Wow, you sound so remorseful. Who are you and what did you do with Lord Beerus?" I rolled my eyes.

 **Lord Beerus:** "Oh, shut up, you know I can be sorry when I want to be." He smiled softly and placed his paws on his hips.

 **Lord Liquiir:** "I know. When you want to be." I smiled a little as well in response to that. "Anyway, as much as it annoyed me when that happened, it's not in my nature to hold a grudge for _this_ long. You know that." He suddenly turned around and reached toward the table where his book is and grabbed both drinks from it. He handed one over to me and took a sip from his.

 **Lord Beerus:** "Thank you," I said as I helped myself to my beverage. It tastes...very tropical and fruity. It perfectly fits this beach setting. I kept on drinking until only a quarter remained.

 **Lord Liquiir:** "You're welcome. As I was saying, as easy as it would be to dislike you, which I _could_ afford since neither of us is going to die anytime soon, what's the point? It feels a lot better to have friends than having enemies." I silently nodded. Even though Quitela doesn't fall into that category at all, Liquiir does. "Besides," he continued, "you're one of my oldest friends. It would truly be a shame to have our friendship ruined forever because of one event."

 **Lord Beerus:** "That's true," I agreed. He extended his right arm and raised his glass. I followed suit.

 **Lord Liquiir:** "I'm glad you feel the same way. Cheers."

 **Lord Beerus:** "Cheers." We gently hit our glass cups together.

 **Lord Liquiir:** "Clink!" he said out loud. I smiled. He is definitely still the same. Well, I might as well take another sip...oh, he's not done. "Clink, clink, clink, clink, clink…" He continuously repeated that word while he gently tapped my drink with his again and again. I laughed as I finally pulled my beverage away.

 **Lord Beerus:** "Okay, I get it! Clink!" He joined in the laughter immediately afterward. As annoying as he can be, I've grown used to his antics. He never does them to hurt, only to playfully pester and have fun. That's just the kind of person he is and to be honest, I can't help but have fun with him. His cheerful demeanor is infectious like that. Once our laughter died down, he cleared his throat and motioned for me to have a seat in the chair next to the one he was originally at.

 **Lord Liquiir:** "Would you like to have a seat?"

 **Lord Beerus:** "Don't mind if I do." I eagerly moved to the chair and took my place. It feels good to be in the shade. He lied down alongside me in the opposite one and sighed contentedly.

 **Lord Liquiir:** "Ah, just like old times." I sighed wistfully.

 **Lord Beerus:** "Just like old times." I put my drink down on the table. He did the same. I then looked over at him. "Hey, Liquiir, did you have two of everything set up because you knew that I was coming?" He looked over at me and nodded.

 **Lord Liquiir:** "Uh-huh," he simply answered. I turned my head to look at the sparkling blue ocean and nodded back.

 **Lord Beerus:** "How considerate of you." I placed my paws behind my head, as did he, and sighed deeply. Now, I feel completely relaxed. Ah, yes, that's right. I have been enjoying reconnecting with Liquiir so much I nearly forgot the original reason as to why I came here. "Liquiir, there is another reason why I came here. My team - that is, the team that won the Tournament of Power - is having a party in two days. You're invited if you want to come." From the corner of my eye, I can see him smiling good-naturedly.

 **Lord Liquiir:** "Oh, how little you understand me, even after all of the years we've known one another," he teased. "As if my answer would be anything but a resounding yes." I smiled back.

 **Lord Beerus:** "That's good to hear." I'm glad that this meeting of ours went so well and hopefully, it's a good indication of what's to come.

* * *

 **These Author's Notes are most likely going to be a decent size because I usually have a lot to say and I love talking to people.**

 **With that being said, there we go, I hope you enjoyed reading what can best be described as the prologue. As much as I wanted to add more, I didn't think that it was necessary. After all, this was meant to ease you in and lay out the foundation.**

 **It's funny because the thought of these two being together romantically just randomly popped into my head one day and I didn't think about it again until several months later. Honestly, I feel like if Lord Beerus was gay, Lord Liquiir would be the most logical boyfriend for him (much better than Whis, if you ask me).**

 **Also, I hope you all like the personality I gave Liquiir, considering in the anime he doesn't have much at the moment. In the manga, he has an amiable nature and I wanted to incorporate that while also making him a bit of a playful smartass. As you know, he's based on a Japanese kitsune, and folklore tends to portray them as being mischievous and whatnot.**

 **Enough of my rambling. Feel free to leave a review telling me your thoughts if you'd like, it would be greatly appreciated. Constructive criticism, positive feedback, any questions you may have, or maybe you even have a possible idea for me to incorporate into this story. Whatever it may be, don't feel shy! This is a positive community and you are always welcome here!**

 **I hope you all enjoyed! Until the next chapter, D.F.T.B.A. (Don't Forget To Be Awesome!) Have an awesome day!**


	2. I Dream

**I Dream of Being Left the Hell Alone! (Or Maybe Not?)**

 **Hello, how are you all doing? I'll admit, I might have been finished sooner. But, with a broken sleep schedule, it's kind of hard. I promise that I'll fix it.**

 **Anyway, I hope you all liked the first chapter. I spent a lot of time perfecting and polishing it, even after I uploaded the damn thing. I also added some sentences to enhance it, so if you read it in its early stages, don't be surprised if you end up thinking "Wait, I don't remember this. Is this new?" Chances are, it is. I hope you all have fun reading the second chapter just as much.**

 **Without any further ado, enjoy!**

* * *

Well, only an hour to go before the massacre starts. The predetermined time for when this event starts is noon. Now that the hour is almost upon us...it feels like it's taking forever! I just want to be done with this day and go to sleep! It sucks! Right now I'm lying down in one of Bulma's lounge chairs by the pool with my left paw behind my head and my right leg over my other. I'm throwing a small, red foam ball up in the air to myself and catching it to pass the time.

Throw, catch. Throw, catch. Throw, catch. I feel mind-numbingly bored. I would use a Cataclysmic Orb, which would add an air of excitement, no matter how small. That's out of the question, though, because I know Bulma or someone else would express their disapproval and or worry about that. Something I don't need today.

 **Bulma:** "Hey, Lord beerus-"

 **Lord Beerus:** "No," I immediately answered without bothering to look at her. She threw her hands up in exasperation and made a noise to match her obvious annoyance.

 **Bulma:** "You don't even know what I was going to say!" I held onto the ball and looked at her through the corner of my eye.

 **Lord Beerus:** "Fine. What were you going to say?"

 **Bulma:** "Thank you. I can see that you're very bored, that much is obvious. So, I have a proposition for you that will pass the time and hopefully help with your boredom while also helping the party." I turned my head toward her and threw the ball wherever down on the ground.

 **Lord Beerus:** "I'm listening." She smiled, evidently feeling pleased that I'm cooperating. For now, at least. This better be good.

 **Bulma:** "That's great to hear!" she exclaimed excitedly. "Okay, I was thinking that maybe you could help set up the decorations! Doesn't that sound like a great idea?" Is she trying to convince me or herself? Either way, I'm not interested in the slightest. I stood up and looked at her carefully.

 **Lord Beerus:** "Let's pretend I _am_ interested. Why haven't the professionals done so already? Isn't that what they're being paid to do?" She smiled sheepishly.

 **Bulma:** "I assumed that we had everything ready, so I sent all of the decorators on their way a few hours ago. As luck would have it, I just thought of some last-minute changes and touch-ups that I think will improve the party. I want to put up some more decorations, set up a few more and entertainment areas, and move some of the booths around into better spots."

 **Lord Beerus:** "Is that so?" I disinterestedly replied, not caring in the slightest.

 **Bulma:** "Yeah, and I know that it would be faster and more efficient if we all started setting things up ourselves." That sounds awful. I would much rather do just about anything else than set up decorations or whatever she wants me to do. I breathed out a sigh of annoyance.

 **Lord Beerus:** "Why must you bother me with this?" I calmly asked but with a slightly annoyed undertone." I'm only one person and you have plenty of other people here you can force into manual labor." I waved her away in a shooing motion. "Drop this 'we' business and find someone else to pester." She placed her hands on her hips.

 **Bulma:** "Come on. Don't you want this party to be successful? Don't you want this party to be the best it could be? Don't you want to make a good showing to the other Gods of Destruction and have them thinking 'Wow, this is amazing. Universe 7 sure knows how to throw a party.' Don't you want to impress them?"

 **Lord Beerus:** "If you honestly believe I care what others think of me and my universe, you are a bigger fool than I thought."

 **Bulma:** "Why are you being so stubborn? I'm just asking for your help! Are you so lazy that the thought of a little work is too much for you to bare?"

 **Lord Beerus:** "I suggest you remember who it is you are speaking to," I reminded her in a low, threatening tone. My anger is very slowly building up. If she keeps this up, there is not going to be any celebration. The other Destroyers will arrive at a mass funeral instead. She took a small step back, looking a bit uncomfortable now.

 **Bulma:** "R-Right...I will." I placed my paws behind my back and glanced over at the clock in the bar. Only fifty-five more minutes to go. I hate this so much. I looked back at her.

 **Lord Beerus:** "Just go away, I'll have something to do when everyone gets here."

 **Bulma:** "Fine. As long as you got the word out. You did, didn't you?" I groaned. Leave me alone!

 **Lord Beerus:** "Yes, I invited everyone! I told them that a mortal I know wants to have a celebration and they're invited." She raised her right eyebrow.

 **Bulma:** "And?"

 **Lord Beerus:** "What? What else is there?"

 **Bulma:** "Hm, 'What else is there?' That's a good question," Bulma sarcastically said while pointing with her right index finger up in the air. I hate it when people do that. They feel the need to make a point so desperately in what they want to say that they physically point at nothing. "Maybe you should have mentioned what universe it's going to be in? What time does it start at? What day does it begin in the first place? You know, things like that."

 **Lord Beerus:** "To be fair, I wanted to leave most of the people as soon as possible! If you knew some of them, you'd understand!" She crossed her arms in front of her chest and adorned an irritated expression. Only a minute ago she was nervous. When did I lose so much credibility that beings can go from feeling fearful to feeling provoked?

 **Bulma:** "You're saying that you _deliberately_ left out a lot of details?" she accused.

 **Lord Beerus:** "No, I'm not saying that I _deliberately_ left out some details on purpose. I _conveniently_ forgot the details." She moved a few inches closer to me and pointed to her face.

 **Bulma:** "You see this face?"

 **Lord Beerus:** "Yeah. You look pissed and unattractive. What's your point?" The smallest of growls escaped her throat.

 **Bulma:** "The point is that _I_. _Am_. _Not_. _Amused_." She carefully enunciated and emphasized each word with a poke to my chest. That's cute, she thinks I care. What I _do_ care about is the fact that she's not afraid to get in my face, let alone _poke_ me, even though she knows who I am and what I can do. _That_ annoys me. I won't dwell on it for now, but I will get _my_ point across. I bent my knees so that I'm on the same level as her and pointed at my face, mimicking what she did just a few seconds ago.

 **Lord Beerus:** "Do you see _this_ face? This is the face of someone who _does. Not. Care._ " I stopped pointing and clenched my paws into fists. "I barely _want_ to be here. I didn't _want_ to be invited to this party in the first place. All I _really_ want is to not be bothered and not have to deal with anyone right now. Is that too much to ask?"

 **Bulma:** "Um..." Throughout the duration of my little rant, Bulma's expression and posture softened and changed to the point where she now looks worried. "Well-"

 **Lord Beerus:** "Is it?!" I demanded again, only this time much more loudly.

 **Bulma:** "N-no! No! Not at all!" She's terrified now. As she should be. Any more and I really might destroy this infuriating planet.

 **Vegeta:** "L-Lord Beerus!" I suddenly heard from behind me, "what's wrong?" I turned around. I feel so honored! The almighty Prince of all Saiyans has graced me with his presence and has shown concern for me! He gulped fearfully and backed away a few steps.

 **Lord Beerus:** "I'll tell you what's wrong. Your wife is pissing me off! I don't want to be involved in this _stupid_ party! Over the course of a few days, I have had the _displeasure_ of meeting so many people I want nothing to do with! All for what? Something that will last only a few hours? It's not like you're going to make any bonds with these people!" I turned around and faced Bulma once more. "Oh, but that's not your _actual_ goal, is it? All you're doing is trying to get on everyone's good side, just like you did with me and Whis!

 **Bulma:** "That's not-"

 **Lord Beerus:** "You are _nothing_ but an opportunist!" I aggressively cut her off. "Why don't you all pretend to be friends with someone else and leave me the _h_ _ell alone_!" I screamed while sending out a small burst of energy from my body, pushing the onlookers back. I didn't even realize that I had drawn such a crowd I was so absorbed in speaking my thoughts. I breathed heavily and held my head with my right paw. Damn, now I have a headache. "I think I made my point," I said to no one in particular but loud enough for those who are picking themselves off of the ground to hear.

Still holding my head, I walked away toward...who knows and who cares? I desperately need a break from everyone. Hm? Oh, sanctuary! It comes in the form of a large tree surrounded by bushes. It's secluded and far away enough from everything so that I can have some time to myself while still being close enough to get back quickly. Without hesitation, I sheltered myself behind the plants and sat down with a sigh. This should be a good place to rest.

 **Whis:** "My, my, that was quite the performance," I heard Whis say too cheerily to my right. Well, nevermind. It looks like I will continue to be tortured.

 **Lord Beerus:** "You know very well I'm not in the mood, Whis. And when I said that I want to be left alone, I meant you, too."

 **Whis:** "Of course, I simply had some important information I believe you would be interested in."

 **Lord Beerus:** "Oh? What would that be?" I sarcastically asked while resting my cheek on my right paw and using my leg to support my elbow.

 **Whis:** "I had a sneaking suspicion that you would ' _Conveniently_ ' leave out some details. So, after you made your visit to each God of Destruction, I made a call to their respective Angels and informed them of all the necessary information. The time, what universe it's going to be held in - if that wasn't obvious - the specific location...the planet." What?! I shot my head up in shock and stared at him with wide eyes.

 **Lord Beerus:** "Did I _really_ forget to say what planet it's going to be on?"

 **Whis:** "Indeed, you did." With an intense feeling of defeat, I groaned and rested my forehead in my right paw. I even forgot that. Suddenly, Whis chuckled like a parent would at their child. Like he knows I did something wrong and he can't get mad at me because it's expected and I simply don't know any better. I hate it when he does that _so_ much. "It's so amusing how forgetful you are at times, my lord." I picked my head up and sighed.

 **Lord Beerus:** "Whatever. As long as everyone knows what they need to know, it will be fine. The crisis has been avert-" A rogue ball rolling up to my left foot has interrupted my sentence. It's the same ball I was throwing and catching. Weird. "Go away," I told the ball with a kick, sending it back from where it came from. "Where was I? Oh, right, the crisis has been averted. And when I told the ball to leave, I was also talking to you." He nodded in understanding.

 **Whis:** "Of course. But before I leave, may I inquire about the planet you destroyed near your temple?" I wondered if he was going to ask about that at some point.

 **Lord Beerus:** "You may not," I replied. He smiled.

 **Whis:** "Very well. I will leave you be." With a bow and using his impressive speed, he left my sight immediately. Most likely to get food. Wait a second, I just realized something. If Whis was listening in to my argument the entire time, then why did he say nothing? Why didn't he stop us? Was he just enjoying the show? Most importantly, where does this ball keep coming from?! It just rolled in and hit me in the same spot! I picked it up with both paws and gave it a hard look.

 **Lord Beerus:** "When I said 'Go away,' I meant it!" I threw the toy to my left and-oh! Look who's decided to rejoin the party! The ball has returned! I threw my paws up in a mix of both disbelief and frustration. I grabbed it, stood up, and threw it very, very hard. At the very least I threw it ten miles away. Let's see you return from that! But...I wonder. I'm going to test something. I turned around to face the tree, pretending to leave myself vulnerable. I swear, if Goku's the one who's trying to play a game of catch with me, there will be consequences.

Waiting...waiting...and even more waiting. Strange, or not so strange, nothing's happening. Maybe the person has lost interest? Or perhaps they finally got the message to leave me alone. Let's see, now. No one is _too_ close to my location. Everyone seems to be keeping their distance. I don't hear anyone, either. I think that I'm finally safe from the round menace. I think...I think I _just_ got with the damn ball in the back of my head as soon as I put my guard down! With a loud growl, I angrily picked up the ball and furiously tore it shreds! Good riddance, you little bastard! "Whoever kept on throwing that ball to me, I will murder-!" I stopped as soon as I turned around to face the perpetrator. Standing in front of me, with his paws raised in front of him and a surprised expression, is none other than Lord Liquiir. "Uh...you," I finished weakly.

 **Lord Liquiir:** "Yikes!" he said in mock fear. "I didn't realize someone ate all of the pudding again," he joked. I hate that Whis blabbed about that. The amount of teasing I get is ridiculous. Wait, what's Liquiir doing here in the first place? Isn't he a little early?

 **Lord Beerus:** "Liquiir, what are you doing here?" He smiled his usual smartass smile.

 **Lord Liquiir:** "Maybe I hit you in the back of the head too hard, or maybe you're just getting old, but you invited me to this party." I'm kind of torn between smacking his head or smacking his head. I _could_ always just smack his head. I'll just stick with what I usually do and roll my eyes.

 **Lord Beerus:** "I know that. I meant 'Why are you here early?' You _are_ here early, aren't you? Or did I completely lose track of time?"

 **Lord Liquiir:** "No, I got here early. To be more specific, I'm forty-five minutes early."

 **Lord Beerus:** "Really? Why _that_ early?"

 **Lord Liquiir:** "I just felt like it would be easier to get to know the people in your universe if I was the only other God of Destruction around." I nodded my head.

 **Lord Beerus:** "That makes sense for you. You _are_ a very social creature."

 **Lord Liquiir:** "Yeah, but right now I'm more interested in what pissed you off so much." He gestured for me to follow him. "Walk with me. Talk with me." I sighed. I've been doing that a lot today.

 **Lord Beerus:** "I don't want to walk and talk."

 **Lord Liquiir:** "All right. In that case, sit with me. Spit with me." I gave him a strange look.

 **Lord Beerus:** "I'll...I'll sit, but I won't spit."

 **Lord Liquiir:** "Fair enough. Then let me dissect you like an insect." I blinked several times at him with a deadpan face.

 **Lord Beerus:** "You're having too much with this."

 **Lord Liquiir:** "Yes. Yes, I am. But seriously, tell me what's on your mind."

 **Lord Beerus:** "I did a lot of that already."

 **Lord Liquiir:** "Aw, come on," he urged me in an exaggerated child-like voice. "Tell me what's going on." He gently poked my forehead a couple of times. "In here." I shrugged.

 **Lord Beerus:** "Okay, you won. I'll tell you." I sat down on the ground with my legs crossed and my back against the tree. He copied me and moved to my right.

 **Lord Liquiir:** "So...what happened?" he kindly asked while looking at me worriedly. This is one of the great things about Liquiir. As much as he'll mess with you, he's still a great friend and he'll always lend you an ear and help you however he can, whether it's feedback or simply by being an outlet for your problems. I looked at him and answered him the only way I could.

 **Lord Beerus:** "It's these damn mortals." He chuckled with a small smile.

 **Lord Liquiir:** "Some can be a handful. Or 'Pawful,' in our case." He held up his paws for emphasis. I smiled at that.

 **Lord Beerus:** "Yes, they definitely can be. Bulma, the blue-haired woman who's also Vegeta's wife, was trying to help me in her well-meaning but annoying way. As you know, I'm not looking forward to this event, and she gave me a solution that I wasn't interested in."

 **Lord Liquiir:** "What was it?"

 **Lord Beerus:** "She suggested that I help set up the decorations. Her thought process was that it would've helped the extreme boredom I was feeling at the time. After that, we got into an argument because I forgot to give out any details regarding this party."

 **Lord Liquiir:** "Ha! I'm not surprised," Liquiir said with a laugh. "After you left my home a couple of days ago I thought 'Hold on, he didn't tell me anything about this party.' I _was_ thinking about contacting you, but Korn told me that Whis told him everything we need to know."

 **Lord Beerus:** "Yeah, that's what Whis told me." He nodded.

 **Lord Liquiir:** "Anyway," he continued, "you really shouldn't be too hard on the mortals who know you. More often than not, they do what they do with your best interests in mind. Not only that, they did help you win the Tournament of Power."

 **Lord Beerus:** "That's true," I agreed.

 **Lord Liquiir:** "But, if you're ever having problems and you need help, just remember that I'm always here for you." He gave me a few pats on my back. "Okay?" I smiled.

 **Lord Beerus:** "Okay, I appreciate it. The same goes for you." I patted his back...back.

 **Lord Liquiir:** "Thanks." He suddenly stretched his arms and legs and soon after that he stood up. "You look and sound like you're feeling better. Better enough to talk to other people?" I looked forward at nothing in particular. I _do_ feel a lot better after talking to him and I no longer feel like the smallest thing is going to make me explode. Even so, I _still_ feel like I want to relax. Okay, I've decided. I looked at him once more and shook my head.

 **Lord Beerus:** "No, thank you. I still want some time to myself." He nodded.

 **Lord Liquiir:** "Okay, I won't force you, but I will wake you up once everyone gets here." Does he assume I'm going to take a nap? He _does_ know me. He began walking away toward the others. "Talk to you later!" he called after me.

 **Lord Beerus:** "Talk to you later," I called back. I lied down on the grass and placed my paws on my stomach. Well, he's right. Now's a good a time as any to sleep. I closed my eyes and let my mind go blank...

* * *

Ugh, damn it. I don't feel all that great. I'm practically awake at this point, but my eyes are closed and I don't feel like getting up. Did I not get enough sleep? Is that why I feel like garbage? That's most likely it. I don't usually sleep so little at a time. Hell, even thirty years isn't usually what I'd consider _good sleep_. A lot's been going on lately and I haven't had a chance to rest like I want to. Hm? Is someone calling me?

 **Whis:** "Oh, Lord Beerus! It's time to wake up!" Whis said in a sing-song voice. As long as he doesn't actually start singing I'm fine. But why is he waking me up in the first place? I thought Liquiir was going to do that? He must be busy with something. He's not one of those people who say that they're going to do something for someone and then they don't do it at all. He's not one to be disrespectful like that and he knows how much I _hate_ disrespectful people.

 **Lord Beerus:** "Just five more minutes," I grumbled.

 **Whis:** "Lord Beerus, Lord Liquiir is awaiting your company and you are being quite rude for making him wait." Speaking of. Hold on, what? Why's he waiting for me? Why didn't he wake me up himself? If I want answers, it looks like I'm going to have to get up. I yawned and stretched while slowly sitting up. I then opened my eyes and looked around...my bedroom? Huh? What's going on here? Why am I in my bedroom? I looked down at my bed and gave it a few pats. It feels real. Is this a dream? I looked over at Whis gently smiling. "Ah, would you look at that? I mention your friend's name and you get up almost immediately. Perhaps I should have _him_ wake you up himself from now on!" he stated enthusiastically.

 **Lord Beerus:** "Ignoring that," I mumbled to myself, "Whis, what am I doing here? What happened to Bulma's party?" My attendant's usual cheerful smile faded away into a look of confusion.

 **Whis:** "'Bulma', my lord? I'm terribly sorry, but I am not aware of who that individual is." I furrowed my brow. I'm feeling very confused myself. Should I care, though? On the one paw, I don't get any delicious Earth food. On the other one, no more nagging! No more mortals pestering me at every turn, even if they do mean well. I can sleep without hearing those damn Saiyans train constantly! Best of all, it even sounds like I can hang out with Liquiir anytime I want. If this is a dream, which I _almost_ don't want it to be, I don't want to wake up for a _long_ time. I smiled at Whis and shrugged.

 **Lord Beerus:** "Don't worry about it, it was probably just someone in a dream I had."

 **Whis:** "I see. Well, as I've mentioned before, Lord-"

 **Lord Beerus:** "Yeah, yeah, yeah, I know. There's no need to keep reminding me." I quickly floated out of bed and started making my way toward Liquiir's energy signature.

 **Whis:** "Ahem. Aren't you forgetting something?" So close to the door of my bedroom. Unlucky. I groaned and turned around.

 **Lord Beerus:** "What is it now?" My assistant, who's now next to me, silently held up my usual attire. I looked down at myself and, surprise, surprise, I'm in my nighttime robes. I looked up at him and rolled my eyes. "Whis, you make it sound like I'm naked and I can assure you, it's fine. Liquiir won't care if I'm in my sleeping robes."

 **Whis:** "If you insist."

 **Lord Beerus:** "I _do_ insist. Now, if you'll excuse me-oof!" I just smacked my face on the door! This is a dream! How?! I want to know, how!? I quickly whipped my head around to see Whis chuckling to himself behind his hand.

 **Whis:** "Oh, dear. Don't get too excited, Lord Beerus," he advised through his laugh. I growled.

 **Lord Beerus:** "You saw _nothing_! This _never_ happened!" I quickly opened the door, making a conscious effort to keep my face away from it, and moved to the other side. " _Now_ , if you'll excuse me." Stupid door. If I didn't have a guest who needs attending, I'd destroy it. I suppose that slamming it will have to do. I did just that and...ooh, cracks. Maybe that was a little _too_ hard. No, it deserved that.

Okay, enough fooling around! I'm not going to waste any more time! I took a deep breath and searched out Liquiir's energy. He's outside near my fish pond and he's in a stationary position. He's waiting for me, just like Whis said. Godly speed, don't you _dare_ fail me now! Without hesitation, I zoomed through my temple at blinding speeds. I passed through the halls, my dining room, and eventually, I made my way outside.

Floating a short distance up into the air, I looked to my right to see his Hexahedron nearby in a clearing, which means no Korn and most likely his visit is going to be relatively short. Not too far away, I spotted the Kitsunian himself, sitting cross-legged at the edge of the largest pond. Silently but swiftly, I made my way to and behind him. Overall, I got to him very quickly. It took about two seconds. I should probably learn Instant Transmission at some point so I don't have to move as much. On second thought, nevermind. I don't feel like putting in that kind of time. Besides, if it isn't broken, don't fix it. He stood up and turned around with a friendly smile.

 **Lord Liquiir:** "Hey, Beerus! I was wondering if you'd ever show up. Oh, wow."

 **Lord Beerus:** "What is it?" He gestured to my robe and laughed a little.

 **Lord Liquiir:** "If I knew we were having a slumber party, I would have worn _my_ pajamas." I looked down at myself and then back up at him.

 **Lord Beerus:** "These are not 'pajamas', they are night robes. One is made for little kids, the other is made for adults." His smile only grew wider.

 **Lord Liquiir:** "Okay, if you say so, but I think it qualifies!" Even though this is a dream, it's oddly comforting to know that Liquiir's still as playful as ever.

 **Lord Beerus:** "Whatever, I'm not going to argue with you," I stated while shrugging.

 **Lord Liquiir:** "So, does that mean that I win?" I pointed my right index finger at the Kitsunian.

 **Lord Beerus:** "Don't push your luck." He just laughed, knowing completely well that I'm not going to do anything even if he does continue. After getting over his laughing fit, he gently moved my paw back down to my side.

 **Lord Liquiir:** "I got it, message received. Let's just have fun. Not that _this_ isn't fun." I sighed and rubbed the back of my head with my right paw.

 **Lord Beerus:** "Yes, well, as enjoyable as it is to mess around, I'm not really in the mood right now. I feel weird. Out of place."

 **Lord Liquiir:** "Really? How so?"

 **Lord Beerus:** "Well...does the 'All-Universe Hide and Seek Tournament' mean anything to you?" With a thoughtful expression, he crossed his arms and cocked his head to the left.

 **Lord Liquiir:** "No, I don't believe so. It does sound _really_ fun, though."

 **Lord Beerus:** "Yeah, I suppose." Assuming no one falls asleep.

 **Lord Liquiir:** "Why do you ask?"

 **Lord Beerus:** "No reason. It's just something random I thought of."

 **Lord Liquiir:** "Ah, okay. In that case, do you want to just talk?" I shook my head.

 **Lord Beerus:** "No, I want to do something more active." His usual smile returned.

 **Lord Liquiir:** "Sounds good to me!" he exclaimed excitedly. After that, he patted my left shoulder. "What active activity do you feel like actively doing?" Heh. He sometimes does that, using every form of a word in a sentence. I might as well respond in kind.

 **Lord Beerus:** "The active activity I feel like actively doing is...uh...I don't know," I said dumbly. After all of that buildup, _that_ was my final answer. I'm so fun. If anything, that just proves I just shouldn't try to out-fun Liquiir. It can't be done. "I'm not going to lie, there's not much to do here." He nodded in agreement.

 **Lord Liquiir:** "Normally, I'd make a joke about that, but you are making it _too_ easy."

 **Lord Beerus:** "Of course I am," I responded sarcastically. "What do _you_ feel like doing?"

 **Lord Liquiir:** "I don't know. What _do_ I feel like doing?" Crossing his arms, he wordlessly walked past me and toward my lake. He's deep in thought, so I won't interrupt him. Instead, I'll just follow close behind him. Once we were about ten feet away from the body of water, which was only a relatively short and leisure walk from the pond, we stopped. Ah! One of his large tails smacked me in the face as soon as he turned around to face me. I know that's something he'd do, but why does my dream have to be _this_ accurate? Whatever, I'll just ignore it. "Maybe we could go for a swim or go fishing."

 **Lord Beerus:** "No, I don't feel like doing-ah!" Another smack in the face! I spat out strands of his fur from my mouth and _this_ cheeky bastard over here is pretending that nothing is out of the ordinary! Fine. If this is the game you want to play, I'm going to win. He's facing the forest now and I assume that when he turns around he's going to smack me again. That's when I get him!

 **Lord Liquiir:** "Okay, then. Maybe we could go hiking?"

 **Lord Beerus:** "I don't feel like doing that-ha! I got you this time!" I knew it! He tried to slap me again, but I was ready and I grabbed his tail with both paws. He looked surprised for a moment, but it quickly evolved into the kind of smile someone has when they know they've won.

 **Lord Liquiir:** "Ha, yourself! You forget that I have two more tails where that came from!" Almost immediately his other tails came to his aid and began their playful assault. Although I'm outnumbered, I refuse to lose! Away with you! You too! Begone! I'm fending off the furry appendages the best I can, but now he's starting to get more into it. He suddenly grabbed me by the wrists and wrestled me to the ground.

Wait, holy shit! Are we _actually_ play wrestling? Yeah, we are! I haven't done this since I was a kid and even then I never liked it. Oddly enough, I'm having fun. I guess that's to be expected when you're not being crushed. We're constantly trying to gain dominance, but we're only succeeding in rolling around in the grass. Even when one of us rolls on top of the other, it never stays that way for long.

Okay, it's time to win! Using just a little more of my strength I rolled on top of him and pinned his wrists above his head. He tried to break free - not really - and gave up almost as soon as he started. We both breathlessly smiled at each other...and because the entire situation is so ridiculous, we then started to laugh through our heavy breathing.

Our game was short, but it's definitely what I needed to feel better about today. I feel happy. I feel relaxed. I...I'm just now noticing how intimate the position that we're in really is. He's noticed it, too, and needless to say, our laughter has also been cut short. Merely thinking about our proximity is making me blush.

My legs are entangled in his while my body is a mere inch above his own. Again, I refer to that eons-old adage, holy shit. I've never been so physically close to him before. Well, technically, we have hugged on occasion, but we were never _this_ cozy with one another.

My face is so near to his I can see his fur gently move as a result of my breath and I can feel his own. His expression itself has so many emotions behind it, all of which I must be showing. Confusion. Surprise. The one that reigns supreme is...genuine affection. For fuck's sake, he's even purring! It's extremely quiet, almost nonexistent, but I can still hear the telltale vibration.

Not only that, but I can also feel his multitude of tails still moving around as if on instinct. Two are simply wagging ever so slowly and continuously brushing up against my legs and tail, respectively. They're also slightly moving my night robe around, making me feel very self-conscious. That's incredibly ironic considering my usual outfit leaves me even more exposed, but I think it's the act of him, another person, moving it around and exposing my body to the air that's making me feel bashful and honestly vulnerable. Even if it's merely by accident on his part.

That being said, his third tail is resting on my back and a quarter of it has gently wrapped around the back of my neck like an impossibly soft pillow brace. I gulped nervously. I wonder if he can hear or feel my rapid heartbeat?

 **Lord Beerus:** "Um...Liquiir?" I asked shyly.

 **Lord Liquiir:** "Yes?" he responded just as quietly. I want to ask him if it's okay being in this situation. However, I can't, because my mouth has gone dry. Not only that...my eyes are...getting heavy. I'm feeling so tired all of a sudden. Does this mean that...the dream is ending? Without warning my head collapsed into the crook of Liquiir's neck and my eyes shut. "Beerus? What's wrong? Beerus, wake up. Beerus?" His voice sounds so distant, yet so close...

* * *

 **"Cliffhanger" and "Time management" are the phrases of the day. Originally, this was to be one huge chapter. It was supposed to be the entire** **party, but I thought that stopping at this rather** _ **interesting**_ **dream would be better. It would have taken me** _ **forever**_ **to get the second chapter out otherwise.**

 **As always, I hope you all enjoyed!** **Until the next chapter, D.F.T.B.A. (Don't Forget To Be Awesome!) Have an awesome day!**


	3. Go Away!

**Go Away!**

 **Not you guys! Stay here! In all seriousness, hello, how are you all doing? Sorry that I haven't uploaded in a while, this is a long chapter. It's probably not even going to be the longest one.**

 **Without any further ado, enjoy!**

* * *

 **Lord Liquiir:** "Hey. Hey, wake up. You alive?" Oh...huh? Liquiir? I see...so that _was_ a dream. "Come on, it's time to get up," he told me while gently tapping the right side of my face. I slowly opened my eyes and looked to my right. "Hey, you _are_ alive!" he exclaimed with a smile. "I was getting a little worried there. I've been trying to wake you up for an entire minute." I sat up and looked down at my lap. I don't feel quite ready to look at him at the moment.

 **Lord Beerus:** "Oh...were you?"

 **Lord Liquiir:** "Yeah. It must have been a good dream, huh?" You could say that. "Ooh, it looks like it was. I can see you blushing!" I clenched my paws. Of course you can. Anyone with even _halfway_ decent eyes can see me blushing. It's this damn short fur of mine! He's lucky in that sense. Unless you have the sharpest pair of eyes in the universe, it's impossible to see if _his_ cheeks are burning. He suddenly wrapped his right arm around my shoulders, making me flinch. "So, what was it about? Or dare I say _who_ was it about?" I shook him off and quickly stood up. I then crossed my arms defiantly.

 **Lord Beerus:** "It wasn't about anything! Just drop the subject!" Come on! Of all the times my voice chooses to crack like I'm going through puberty, it has to be now. Is it my destiny to be embarrassed? He stood up and moved next to me, although he's keeping his distance a little.

 **Lord Liquiir:** "Okay, I can see that this is a sensitive topic for you. If you ever want to talk about it, feel free." I narrowed my eyes at him.

 **Lord Beerus:** "Thank you for being so suspiciously cooperative."

 **Lord Liquiir:** "Believe it or not, I do know when to drop a topic. I do want to know one thing, however."

 **Lord Beerus:** "What?"

 **Lord Liquiir:** "Before we join everyone, are you going to do something about that?" With his right paw, he pointed downward. What's he referring to? Wait, no! My eyes widened in horror. Please don't tell me I have a...! I quickly looked down at myself. Afterward, I released a loud sigh. Thankfully, I don't have an erection. I looked back up and growled at this laughing, smartass of a fox!

 **Lord Beerus:** "Damn it, Liquiir!"

 **Lord Liquiir:** "Ha, ha, ha! Sorry, but you did want to know what my question-ow! That hurt." I blinked several times. I...I punched him. Enough to hurt him - he's rubbing his upper right arm soothingly. I wasn't even thinking, I just wanted him to shut up. I didn't have to go that far, though. Ah, I am such a dumbass! I shouldn't have used so much force! What am I talking about? I shouldn't have hit him at all! He sighed sadly. "Okay, I mean it this time. I'll stop teasing you." He's not only physically hurt, but he's also emotionally hurt. I can tell that much. I moved to comfort him like he sometimes does with me, but I stopped myself. I don't think that it would be a good idea to touch him right now.

 **Lord Beerus:** "I-I'm sorry. I honestly didn't mean to hurt you."

 **Lord Liquiir:** "No, it's fine. I did take it a step too far and I deserved that much." He looked toward the direction of the party. "I'll just, um, give you your space. Who knows, that hit might have been a good thing. I mean, you don't want to spend _all_ of your time with me, right? Ha, ha..." His forced optimism coupled with his weak chuckle and smile is making me feel worse about myself. Even his ears are drooping slightly. "I'll talk to you later. Bye." With those words, he walked away and left me alone. Ah, damn it all! Stupid dream! Stupid brain! Stupid me! What's wrong with me?! Can't I do _anything_ without upsetting someone?! And why did I have to upset the _one_ person I can confidently say is my best friend? I hate myself so much right now. I knew this party was a bad idea from the start. This is the _worst party ever_!

* * *

I emerged from my hiding spot a few minutes after Liquiir's departure and at this point, I'm wandering around aimlessly. Sure enough, all of the Destroyers and their Angels are here, all doing their own thing. Curiously enough, I don't see any of their Supreme Kais. Now that I think about, Shin isn't here, either. Do they all have a meeting or something? If they do, I wasn't told anything.

None of the fighters who participated in the tournament are here, either. That's a wise decision. For one, it would become too crowded here. Also, I feel like there would be too much bad blood. There is _such_ irony in that statement. The fights could easily be stopped, however, Bulma still wouldn't appreciate a fight at one of her parties. Again. There we go, I'm now in the pool area, where the bulk of the party is. I'm just standing around, practically in the middle of everything, doing a lot of nothing.

 **Lord Champa:** "Hey, bro! I was wondering if you would ever show up!" Sure, why not? It makes sense that my brother is the first to greet me. At least it wasn't-

 **Lord Beerus:** "Damn it, why are you two hanging out?!"

 **Lord** **Quitela** **:** "Well, hello to you, too, Beerus." Great. Lucky me! My least favorite person has made his grand appearance! Champa and I can barely stand each other as it is! Throw him into the mix? That's a recipe for disaster.

 **Lord Beerus:** "No, really, why are you two hanging out?" I questioned once more.

 **Lord Champa:** "It's a party, right? It makes no sense to be by yourself," he responded. "But, if you want to know the specifics, you could say that we're bonding over not liking you too much."

 **Lord Beerus:** "Of course you are. Why wouldn't you?"

 **Lord** **Quitela** **:** "Hey, think about it this way: we talked to you first, so we must like you a _tiny_ bit, right?" I nodded.

 **Lord Beerus:** "Sure, let's all pretend that's true." He nonchalantly shrugged.

 **Lord** **Quitela** **:** "Fine, if that's what you want to think. Speaking of friends, a few minutes ago I saw Liquiir leave from the direction you just came from." A pang of guilt struck me.

 **Lord Beerus:** "Is that so?"

 **Lord** **Quitela** **:** "Yep. So, what happened? Did you have a little lover's spat?" I clenched my fists tightly and glared daggers at him. How dare he say that! I want to punch him right in his mouth and shatter his jaw!

 **Lord Beerus:** "Quitela, I am _not_ in the fucking mood to deal with you right now," I venomously hissed through clenched teeth, keeping my voice low so I don't make a scene. I've already done more than my fair share of that at Bulma's parties. Champa, understanding the ticking time-bomb that currently is me, silently backed away from the blast radius to a random booth. Amazingly, he's not making the brewing situation any worse, nor is he even bringing it to anyone's attention. Everyone is continuing to do their own thing and still blissfully unaware. Unfortunately, I know Quitela too well. He won't be able to resist stoking the fire of my barely contained rage. Speaking of whom, he smiled smugly and placed his hands behind his head.

 **Lord** **Quitela** **:** "Aw, what's wrong? Are you trying to be a good kitty for your handler? What's her name? Bulma?" He threw his head back and laughed loudly in his signature way, a sound I've grown to be disgusted with.

 **Lord Beerus:** "You tiny, obnoxious, assault on my ears!" I snarled, still keeping my tone hushed. I slowly began raising my fist.

 **Lord Quitela:** "What are you going to do? Punch me? Come on, punch me," he taunted. If that's what he wants, I'm more than happy to oblige.

 **Lord Champa:** "Hey, Quitela!" Champa called out, stopping me from going through with my decision. "We have better things to do than to mess with Beerus. Let's just get out of here." Lowering my fist to my side, I looked over at my brother and caught his gaze. I didn't need to say anything for my message to get across to him. I then looked down at Quitela.

 **Lord Quitela:** "Tch. Fine. I was getting bored, anyway. He's no fun when he doesn't explode and throw a tantrum." The beyond irritating rat gave me one last dirty look before walking away to reunite with Champa. I watched them as they made their way to the huge building; I doubt I'll see them again anytime soon. I breathed a relieved sigh. Well, my brother might be a dick more often than not, but at least he occasionally looks out for my well being. And even though he says he doesn't like me, he does have _some_ brotherly love left for me in his heart...which happens to be working its ass off constantly.

I looked around. It doesn't appear anyone noticed what transpired between me and Quitela. Other than Whis, that is, who's standing next to the fourth universe's Angel, Cognac. He smiled in his typical fashion and waved nonchalantly at me. He's clearly pleased that I didn't put a damper on the party or put him into a situation where he and Cognac would have both been forced to intervene.

I reluctantly returned his wave. A much, much smaller one. And I'm _not_ smiling back at him. I'm not in the mood to. I'm not in the mood for anything, honestly. Scanning the area, I rested my gaze on a fancy looking bar stand to my left. Except, perhaps, some alcohol. _Strong_ alcohol. I stopped my unenthusiastic waving and casually walked over to an available seat at the booth.

 **Lord Beerus:** "Could you get me something high in alcohol content right now?" I asked the bartender, a young man with brown hair and eyes. "Hold on, let me rephrase that," I said before he could pour me a drink. "Give me your strongest drink. I don't want to care about anything for the rest of the party." He readily complied and handed me a good-sized glass. "I also want a little umbrella and a straw." Just as quickly he put both requested items in my beverage. "Thank you." Taking a generous gulp, I turned and looked around. Excluding Champa and Quitela, all of the Destroyers are in this area: Iwne, Heles, Mosco, Arack, Sidra, Rumsshi, Belmod, and Geene. People say I'm stupid, but I just named everyone in order of their universe!

Hold on, Liquiir's not here. I wonder where-no! I'm not going to think about him! I shouldn't be so dependent on him. Besides, I know he wants to be away from me. He was being nice earlier when he said that _I_ needed space away from him. I took out my straw, threw it into a nearby trash can, and chugged the rest of my drink in one go. I placed it on the counter when I finished and snapped my fingers, getting the bartender's attention. "Hey, keep the drinks coming!" He nodded, looking slightly apprehensive - probably because of my aggressiveness - and went to fill my cup. With closed eyes, I sighed and scratched the back of my head.

This probably isn't the best way to go about enjoying myself, however, it's the only thing I can think of. But you know what? It doesn't matter at this point. My goal right now is to get drunk. At least a little bit. I took another huge gulp of the bitter liquid. My body's going to hate me, but it's worth it.

* * *

Only an hour...only an hour has passed and I'm feeling _so_ plastered! A couple of people came over to talk to me a while ago. Gohan and his wife. Videl, I think her name is. They both talked about...something or other. Was there anyone else? I don't remember. None of them stayed long enough for me to remember them. Now, I'm all alone. Everyone has all but left me. Off to do who knows what. I sighed and rested my forehead on the counter.

 **Lord Beerus:** "Bored!" I suddenly shouted while picking my head up. I don't care what it is, but I have to do _something_! I jumped off of the stool I'm sitting on and-whoa! I almost tripped and fell flat on my face. "Whoops. I feel a little tipsy. No, _tripsy_! Ha, ha, ha!" I'm so hilarious. I looked over at the bartender. "Hey, you! On a scale of one to ten, how drunk am I? Assume my tolerance is extremely high. No! No! Wait! Don't answer! I'm, uh...a six...or a seven. Yes, that sounds about right! Six or a seven! That's right, right? I'll say...it is right! Not at all left." Heh. That reminds me of a joke. How did it go again? Let's see...did you hear about the guy who lost the left side of his body? Don't worry, he's all right now. I laughed boisterously out loud. That was it! Whoever said that I'm not funny? I'd make an amazing comedian! That was gold! I would kill, so to speak. "Well, I'm finished here. Thank you for the...the, um...the drinks. They were...oh, what's the word? They were...good. And strong. Like me! Uh...I can't think of anything else to say...bye!"

But a six or a seven...ooh, that's not good is it? No, it's not. Oh, well! I laughed again and floated upward. I'm staggering and I'm having a hard time controlling my body. Come on, listen to me! "C-C-Come on, body! I am your master! I am i-in control! I am...I am in control! Why? Because...b-because I am a God of Destruction! I might be d-drunk as...as fuck, but I am an all-powerful God of Destruction! You hear me, bartender?! All-powerful!" God of Destruction or not, I am stuttering and slurring my words _very_ badly right now. I'm sure it will get better. I looked at the main building and narrowed my eyes at it. "Okay, Lord Beerus. Focus. I-I want to go there. I want to play a game. Now, fly!" I'm moving...slowly. And _not_ in a straight line. "Straight!" Nope, that didn't work. I'm going off course. Maybe walking would be better. Time to land! I landed on the ground...on my ass. That didn't feel good.

I carefully stood up and walked forward with much more difficulty than I was expecting until eventually, I reached the building. There _has_ to be something fun in here to do! Onward, to my destination of...somewhere. That's a funny word if you think about it. And I _will_ think about it! "Destination _._ Dest-i-nation. I get what i-nation is. Like, like, I is me and a nation is a place and I'm going to a place _right now_! But what's dest? Dest...dest...destiny? Yeah, that's it! Destiny i-nation! It's my destiny that I go to a nation! When I'm drunk, I'm a genius! And whoever thought of that word is a genius, too!" I suddenly felt a tap on my shoulder. I turned around to find Videl staring up at me.

 **Videl:** "Hi, Lord Beerus. How are you doing?"

 **Lord Beerus:** "I'm doing great! Hey, do you want to hear about the genius behind the word destination? I'd be happy to tell you!" She laughed and smiled awkwardly. I wonder why that is?

 **Videl:** "That's okay, I already know everything." My eyes widened.

 **Lord Beerus:** "What? How?! Can you read minds?"

 **Videl:** "No, you...yelled out your entire breakdown of the word...and you also said something about being an all-powerful God of Destruction. Anyway, I'm pretty sure everyone heard you." I crossed my arms and frowned.

 **Lord Beerus:** "I did? Are you _sure_ you weren't just reading my mind?"

 **Videl:** "I'm pretty sure...do you maybe want to join me?"

 **Lord Beerus:** "Join you in what? What are you doing?"

 **Videl:** "I'm baking a cake right now. I know that I don't _have_ to, but I wanted to do something nice. You know, a little surprise. If you don't feel like baking, I understand."

 **Lord Beerus:** "Are you kidding me? I'd _love_ that!" I accepted excitedly. "Let's go!" I walked past Videl and made my way to wherever the cake is.

 **Videl:** "Lord Beerus," Videl called to me, "the kitchen's this way!" Or maybe not.

 **Lord Beerus:** "If you say so." I turned around and-oh, damn it, not again! I tripped and I'm falling! Wait, what? How come I didn't fall on my face? I didn't catch myself.

 **Videl:** "Hey, Lord Beerus, do you think you could help me out, here?" she said from under me.

 **Lord Beerus:** "Oh, _you_ caught me! I feel so stupid. Who else could it have been?"

 **Videl:** "I don't mean to be rude, but seriously, help."

 **Lord Beerus:** "Sorry. Here you go." I straightened up, with some help from Videl, and laughed. "Oh, that was funny. Don't you think so?"

 **Videl:** "Yeah, it was comedy gold. Do you need help walking?"

 **Lord Beerus:** "That would-that would, um, I-I, uh...that...would...yeah, that." She giggled - with me or at me, I don't know - and took me by my right wrist. She's now leading me to our... _destination!_ "You're a good human, Videl," I told her while patting her head. "When I inevitably blow up your planet, I'll be sure to spare you, Gohan, and your daughter. And your father and Majin Buu if you want." Her walking slowed down a little, making me walk slower, too.

 **Videl:** "Oh. Thank you?"

 **Lord Beerus:** "There's no need to thank me. I'm just doing my job. Now that I think about it, where is your daughter? Did you and Gohan abandon her?" She let out an exhale of what I assume to be is annoyance. But why? What does she have to be annoyed about?

 **Videl:** "No, we didn't abandon Pan." So _that's_ her name! I didn't know until now. I shouldn't say anything about it, though. I don't want to look rude or make a fool of myself. "Chi-Chi is watching her and Bulma and Vegeta's daughter while I work on the cake. I think that she's with Whis and the other Angels right now."

 **Lord Beerus:** "Oh, okay! Well, that does make sense. She _is_ the good wife, after all. That must mean that she's a better mom and caregiver than you, too, right?" She let out yet another sigh.

 **Videl:** "She...yeah, sure. Just out of curiosity, how drunk are you?"

 **Lord Beerus:** "Say what? I'm not drunk." She looked at me disbelievingly."Okay, I'm a little drunk. Like, six. Or seven. On a scale of ten. But don't tell anyone!"

 **Videl:** "Don't worry, your secret's safe with me."

 **Lord Beerus:** "Yes!" I raised my left arm tri...tri...shit! What's the word? Tri...triumphantly! There, I knew I'd get it eventually. "I am a great actor, Videl! No one will suspect that I'm drunk at all!"

 **Videl:** "That's good, but maybe you shouldn't say that out loud."

 **Lord Beerus:** "Why? Do you think everyone can hear me?"

 **Videl:** "Yes." I gave her a thumbs up.

 **Lord Beerus:** "All right, then! I'll take your advice. I'm trusting you."

 **Videl:** "Okay and don't worry, your trust will not be misplaced."

 **Lord Beerus:** "I'm sure it won't. Actually, you know what?" I stopped walking, making Videl stop, too. She turned to look at me.

 **Videl:** "What?" I pointed at her.

 **Lord Beerus:** "You have been nothing but good to me!"

 **Videl:** "Really? It's only been two minutes."

 **Lord Beerus:** "Even so, it's only right that I do something nice for you in return."

 **Videl:** "What did you have in mind?"

 **Lord Beerus:** "I will...um..." What can I do? Uh...damn it, I can't think of anything! I snapped my fingers repeatedly to help me think of something faster. I know! "I'll carry you the rest of the way! No more walking for you!"

 **Videl:** "Wait, what? Oh, geez!" I effortlessly picked up the young human and carefully placed her over my right shoulder. "Okay...this is weird. But I feel like a princess, so I guess it's okay." I nodded.

 **Lord Beerus:** "Now, show me the way, princess, and I will follow!"

 **Videl:** "Um...sure. Go through that door on your left."

 **Lord Beerus:** "Yes, m'lady! Opening the door! Entering the room! Turning around and closing the door! We have successfully gone through the door! Now what?"

 **Videl:** "Now put me down, we're here."

 **Lord Beerus:** "As you wish, princess! Here you go." I carefully placed her back on the ground. I turned around and looked at the...kitchen? I've never seen a kitchen with a carpet, before. I tapped the floor with my foot a couple of times. "I've never seen a kitchen like this before. In fact, where are the stoves? The counters? The fridge? I don't see anything in here that remotely looks like it belongs in the kitchen."

 **Videl:** "That's because this is the living room. Well, one of them. The actual kitchen is through that door in front of us." She pointed to it.

 **Lord Beerus:** "Oh, okay. I was really confused. So, is her actual kitchen huge?" She started walking toward it. I immediately followed her.

 **Videl:** "Yeah, it's pretty big, but it's for personal use. For when she and Vegeta don't want anything made by the cooks. The main kitchen, which is the kitchen the cooks use, is _massive_. You could play hide and seek in there." I stopped dead in my tracks a few feet from the door and froze. That brings up some bad memories. She noticed and turned around with a concerned look on her face. "Lord Beerus? What's wrong?"

 **Lord Beerus:** "N-nothing. Don't worry about it. So...where are you with the cake?" She's looking at me carefully. Please, just ignore it!

 **Videl:** "I'm actually almost finished with it." Yes! Bless you, for not asking about it again! She opened the door. Wow, this place _is_ pretty big! "There it is." She gestured to her right. Sitting on the counter is a-

 **Lord Beerus:** "Damn, Princess Videl! That thing's big as fuck!" She giggled. "No, seriously, it's five layers tall!"

 **Videl:** "I know. I had to make it really big to feed _everyone_. All that's missing are the decorations." I looked around the giant pastry. The frosting's on it. It's as white as snow. However, it still looks _very_ naked. Ah! No! Champa, go away! It was that _one_ time when we were adults and I saw you naked! Come on, I'll lose my appetite! "Are you doing okay? You're swatting the air in front of your face." I cleared my throat.

 **Lord Beerus:** "You don't need to worry, it's gone now. Anyway, I know I said that I'd help you, but it looks like a lot of work."

 **Videl:** "Don't worry, it's easy. Here, you take one of these pastry bags and use it to make this look gorgeous." I looked down. The bags that are near the dessert are arranged in order of the rainbow. She handed me a red one.

 **Lord Beerus:** "Okay, I think I know how this works." I floated up and started with the very top layer. "Just give the bag a little squeeze, and..." Oh, I squeezed the pastry bag all right. Half of the bag exploded, showering the counter, me, and Videl with red icing, kind of like sugary blood. I wonder if a cake monster would bleed sugar? Mm...that would be delicious. Like I was saying, it also made a goopy mess on the cake. The metal nozzle thingy also crashed down onto the floor near Princess Videl's right foot. I looked over at her and laughed in an embarrassed sounding way. "Oops. I think I squeezed it too hard." She sighed and shrugged.

 **Videl:** "It's fine. We can always scrape it off. I'll go get you a washcloth so you can get that icing out of your fur." I nodded.

 **Lord Beerus:** "Thank you." She left for the back of the room. I assume that's where the cleaning supplies are or something. I looked at the towering sweet. That mess on it doesn't make it look gorgeous _at all_! And since I was the one who made it look ugly in the first place, I should be the one to scrape it off. If I do that, Princess Videl will be so happy with me!

I floated back down and lifted the tray that it's sitting on. I'm moving it to a lower level so that I'll have an easier time scraping the icing off. It's a good thing I'm so strong or else I'd have a very hard time carrying it. Now, where should I put it down? Is there a counter that's, like, waist-high? I don't see any. Maybe it would be better to put this thing back on the counter? Yeah, I probably should.

I carefully put the con...con... I forgot the word again! Fuck! Con...confection! Ah-ha! There we go. I carefully put the confection back in its original place. All I need now is to get that washcloth. "Hey, Princess Videl, where's that-ah!" I slipped on that little nozzle that exploded off of the bag earlier! I landed on my back with a hard and loud thud. "Ouch." I stood up and rubbed my sore back. "I thought when you get drunk you don't feel pain anymore? Whoever says that is a liar. Is the cake still here?" I looked to my right. Uh-huh. It's still standing tall. "Phew! I don't know why, but I was afraid that something bad happened to it." I turned my head and rested one paw on my hip while I placed the other on the counter. That's weird. Do they always feel this squishy? I looked back to find...a squashed cake. The bottom two layers are now under my paw. "Shit."

 **Videl:** "I'm sorry it took so long, Lord Beerus. I needed to clean up, too. Anyway, here's your-ah! What happened to the cake?!" Princess Videl practically screeched. I looked at her and very slowly took my paw out of the pastry. I laughed nervously.

 **Lord Beerus:** "Not much. What's happening with you?" She narrowed her eyes at me and stomped her way closer to me.

 **Videl:** "It took me _hours_ to bake this thing! It's ruined now! What, did it insult your mother?" I shook my head.

 **Lord Beerus:** "No. At least the top three layers didn't get squished," I told her optimistically.

 **Videl:** "That _doesn't_ matter if they're covered in a giant frosting blob!"

 **Lord Beerus:** "Look, I'm sorry, it was an accident!" I licked some cake off of my index finger. "If it makes you feel any better, it's delicious!" Uh-oh, her right eye's twitching. It did not make her feel better.

 **Videl:** "Lord Beerus, with all due respect, go away. Please." I sighed sadly.

 **Lord Beerus:** "I understand. But...where do I go now?"

 **Videl:** "If I remember correctly, 18, Krillin, and Gohan are teaching table tennis. You can go join them. You're not _so_ drunk that you can't focus on their energy to find them, are you?"

 **Lord Beerus:** "Uh, no, I'm not. Again, I'm really sorry."

 **Videl:** "It's fine, I guess." She handed me the washcloth. "Here you go." She looked at the ruined...um...more ruined cake. "As you said, the top three layers are still intact. Hopefully, I'll be able to salvage them. See you later, Lord Beerus." I looked down and began to clean off my paw.

 **Lord Beerus:** "Yeah...see you later." I started making my way out the door and groaned sadly. "Sober or drunk, I can't do anything right."

* * *

After cleaning myself - and wandering around looking for a good place to drop off the washcloth I used - I searched out Prince Gohan's energy. I can feel it outside, which makes table tennis an outdoor sport. I'm assuming also that it involves a table. It has to, right? A sport wouldn't be named one thing and it's the complete opposite of what actually happens. I mean, you wouldn't call an activity...I don't know, football, and your feet barely get used. That would be stupid!

I wonder if everyone will want to hear about this? I hope so. I'm having some of the best thoughts I've ever had! Oh, I hope I don't forget about them! Double oh! I found the door that leads to my...location? Yeah, my location! I opened it, took a step outside, and looked all around me. Hello?! Can anyone hear me?! Nothing but silence. Hello?! Why is no one answering me?! Wait, I'm thinking it. I actually have to say it out loud. Whoopsie!

 **Lord Beerus:** "Hello?! Can anyone hear me?!"

 **Gohan:** "We're over here, Lord Beerus!" Hey! That's Prince Gohan!

 **Lord Beerus:** "Where?! I don't see you!"

 **Lord Geene:** "Look in front of you, genius!" Someone already recognizes my brilliance! Awesome! Wait, where'd he say to look? In front of me, that's right! Oh. They are in front of me. About fifty feet away. Whoa! There are so many damn people over there! To name a few, there's Goku, Vegeta, those Saiyan children who know fusion, Geene, Arack, Iwne, Belmod, Rumsshi, Sidra, and that young Namekian who watches over this planet. Along with those kids, I don't remember his name.

Hey, look at that, the pig man is here, too! Oolong, right? The only reason I remember _his_ name is because I beat him in rock-paper-scissors. Why did we play it in the first place, though? Whatever, it's not important.

 **Lord Beerus:** "Okay! Wait over there, everyone! I will join you all in a second!" And in a second I did get to them. I _love_ this speed! "See? I told you that I'd get to you all in a second." Everyone gathered around me. To start a conversation with me, I think. It makes sense. Who wouldn't want to talk to me?

 **Goku:** "Hiya, Lord Beerus! It's good to see you here and not at the bar." It is a nice change, isn't it? We're out in the field...is it a field? How big does a stretch of grass have to be considered one? Whatever, I'll call it a field. We're out in the big open space that's behind Bulma's house with many large, rectangular metal tables with small nets atop of them, all spaced out from between each other. So this game _is_ played on a table. Located farther away on the sides are a few regular square glass tables you can sit at as well. All of them have large, white umbrellas overhead, reflecting the heat and providing pleasant shade from it. A two-for-one deal, what a bargain! I focused on Goku and bashfully smiled.

 **Lord Beerus:** "I might have gotten a little carried away," I admitted while rubbing the back of my neck out of embarrassment. "But it's all fine and it's really good to see all of you. Even the people I don't remember."

 **18:** "Oh? I have a good guess, but who are the people you don't remember?" I heard 18 say to my right. I looked over at her.

 **Lord Beerus:** "The only people I don't remember are the Namekian and the Saiyan kids over there." With my right paw, I gestured toward the three who are all standing next to each other in front of me and one of the game's tables.

 **Trunks:** "I'm Trunks and that's Goten," he told me while pointing to the right at his friend. "I'm surprised you don't remember us after all this time."

 **Lord Belmod:** "I wouldn't feel too bad. His memory is horrible." I blinked and looked over at Belmod. He's taken a seat at one of the regular tables.

 **Lord Beerus:** "Wait, what was that?"

 **Lord Belmod:** "Nothing, you're just proving a point." I narrowed my eyes at him and crossed my arms.

 **Lord Beerus:** "I'm pretty sure I know what you said, but I'm just going to ignore it. Uh, what's your name, Namekian?"

 **Dende:** "It's Dende, Lord Beerus."

 **Lord Beerus:** "I see. I honestly don't think I'll be able to remember that. Do you mind if I just call you 'Little Green?' Hey, why did some of you just laugh?" I looked at the crowd.

 **Lord Arack:** "It's just amusing how you're acting. That's all."

 **Lord Beerus:** "What do you mean? How am I acting? No, wait!" I held up my right paw before anyone could answer. "Don't answer that. Little Green never answered my question and you're all being rude! So, Little Green, can I call you Little Green? Is that okay Little Green?" He's looking up at me with a neutral expression.

 **Dende:** "It's fine, I suppose. You are inebriated, so I can't fault you for acting like this." I scratched the back of my head.

 **Lord Beerus:** "Huh? What does that word mean?"

 **Vegeta:** "It means drunk, Lord Beerus," Vegeta answered to my right.

 **Lord Beerus:** "Wait...you all know I'm drunk?" Pretty much everyone is saying right now that they know. Damn it! I wonder what tipped off? "That's not fair! Princess Videl told me that she wouldn't tell anyone!" I crossed my arms angrily. "I'm, like, a six by the way. Or seven. On a scale of ten."

 **Vegeta:** "Nevermind being drunk. 'Princess'? When did _she_ ever become a princess?" I looked over at the adult Saiyan.

 **Lord Beerus:** "When she married Prince Gohan obviously." Prince Gohan's now staring wide-eyed at me and using his right hand, he's pointing to himself.

 **Gohan:** "Are you talking about me?"

 **Lord Beerus:** "Yes, I'm talking about you. You are the only 'Gohan' here...aren't you?"

 **Gohan:** "Well...yes, but I still don't understand how I'm a prince. Or how Videl's a princess."

 **Vegeta:** "He's right, I'm the only prince here."

 **Lord Iwne:** "Trunks is your son, isn't he? Wouldn't he technically be a prince?" Trunks looked at his father.

 **Trunks:** "He's right, dad, I would be." Vegeta looked over at him.

 **Vegeta:** "Technically, you are." I looked between the two several times in confusion.

 **Lord Beerus:** "Wait, wait, wait, hold on," I said with my paws raised in front of me. "Vegeta, when did _you_ become a prince?" He looked at me with a look of disbelief, wide eyes, and his mouth is hanging open. If he doesn't close it soon, bugs will fly in there.

 **Vegeta:** "L-Lord Beerus! I've always been a prince! Always!" I cocked my head to the right crossed my arms again.

 **Lord Beerus:** "Even though you're married?" He opened his mouth, but no words were spoken. Only silence. Either that or I've gone deaf.

 **18:** "If we're following that logic, wouldn't Gohan and Videl be a king and queen?" Vegeta groaned and facepalmed himself.

 **Vegeta:** "You're not helping, android."

 **Lord Beerus:** "Hey, you're right! That _does_ make them a king and queen!"

 **Gohan:** "But we're not a king or queen, either." I walked over to King Gohan and shook my head.

 **Lord Beerus:** "Don't say such things, my King. Of course, you are a king and queen and I am but your humble knight. I am honored to serve you, even though I am not worthy to be in either of your presence." I kneeled before my King.

 **Oolong:** "You know, I think I can get on board with _this_ Lord Beerus any day of the week."

 **Goku:** "Ha, ha, I think I like drunk Lord Beerus! He's really funny!" Yeah, I _am_ really funny! I think that I'm starting to like drunk Lord Beerus, too. Whoa, wait, what's going on?! I'm being forced back on my feet! Is it a ghost?! No, it's just Vegeta, Belmod, and Geene.

 **Lord Beerus:** "Hey, what's the big idea? Why did you pick me up like that?"

 **Vegeta:** "We picked you up because what you were doing was inappropriate."

 **Lord Beerus:** "What do you mean? What did I do?"

 **Lord Geene:** "You were kneeling." Uh...okay. I still don't get it. I looked down at my legs.

 **Lord Beerus:** "And that's so horrible because...?" I then looked back up at the three. "I don't understand. What's the big deal?"

 **Lord Belmod:** "You have to remember, you are a God of Destruction. No offense to you, Gohan, but you really shouldn't be kneeling to a mortal so easily like that."

 **Lord Beerus:** "But don't you kneel to Jiren?" I heard a couple of gasps and a lot of ohs. "What? What did I say? What did I say?" I looked around at everyone - I feel like I'm doing that a lot - before looking back at Belmod. "Uh...Belmod, are you okay?" He's staring down at the ground with his hands on his hips. He sighed deeply, sounding very disappointed, and looked up at me.

 **Lord Belmod:** "Beerus, I think I speak for everyone when I say 'Go away.'" I looked at him with wide eyes.

 **Lord Beerus:** "What?! But...but I..." I moved my arms around randomly for a few seconds before gesturing to myself. "I just got here! Was it the Jiren thing? Come on, I'm really sorry!"

 **Krillin:** "What you said was over the line. It wasn't cool."

 **Lord Beerus:** "I-I just..." I fiddled with my fingers. I have no idea what to say. "It's just...King Gohan, it's not fair!" I looked over at him. "Not even fifteen minutes ago I came inside, I just came outside, and now you want me to come inside again? I don't want to come inside twice! Hey, are you okay? Your face is looking red." He cleared his throat with his right hand.

 **Gohan:** "You're talking about the building, right?"

 **Lord Beerus:** "Yeah. What else would I be talking about?"

 **Gohan:** "Don't worry, it's fine. Although, I do agree that you should leave. It would be for the best."

 **Lord Beerus:** "Even you, King Gohan? Aw...if _you_ command it, I suppose I _do_ have to come inside twice."

 **18:** "Stop saying it like that!"

 **Trunks:** "Saying it like what? What's wrong with coming inside the building?"

 **18:** "Aside from being grammatically incorrect, it means-" She quickly stopped herself and shook her head. "Ugh, just go away, Lord Beerus." I threw my paws up in the air.

 **Lord Beerus:** "Another thing I'm saying wrong and I don't even know what it is." I sighed. "Okay, I'll leave. I guess I'll just find Champa. He'll be happy to hang out with me. We're best friends. Anyway, bye everyone. I'm sorry that I caused trouble." I waved and began to walk away. I'm so mad at myself. I didn't even get to play table tennis and so many more people are upset with me! Okay, Beerus, next time, think before you say anything! Now, I have no clue what Champa's doing right now, but whatever it is I know that he'll be happy to see me. And 18 has no idea what she's talking about. There's nothing wrong with coming.

* * *

 ** **Lord Beerus:**** "This is great, I feel so much better! Just you, me, Quitela, and...um..." I motioned to the television in front of us with my right arm. "Some game show host. Whatever his name is." What's playing right now is a question and answer based game, but most of the questions involve Earth. Even if I wanted to play along, I would do terribly. Not only that, but you have to answer in the form of a question. It's so confusing! At one point they asked the name of the meteor that killed the dinosaurs. I don't know why they asked that since I'm the one who killed them, but it's fine. I'm not really paying attention, anyway. I'm too focused on my friends, Champa and Quitela!

The three of us are sitting on a black leather couch in one of the many, many living rooms. I know Bulma's rich, but why are there so many living rooms? And this is the most basic one I've seen yet. It has a couch. A flat-screen TV hanging on the wall. The walls themselves are painted white. The floor has a nice white carpet. There are potted plants on either end of the couch. And that's pretty much it. I'm sitting between Champa and Quitela right now. It's nice. I tried to wrap my arms around their necks, but they both moved away from me.

 **Lord Champa:** "Yeah...why are you here exactly?" Champa said to my right.

 **Lord Beerus:** "I'm here because you're my friends and I want to hang out together."

 **Lord Quitela:** "But we don't like you," Quitela stated matter-of-factly to my left. "To be completely honest with you, we thought about making a club about not liking you."

 **Lord Beerus:** "Really?" I looked back and forth between the two. "Can I be a member?" My brother looked at me as if I've gone insane.

 **Lord Champa:** "Wha-no, you can't be a member!" He then pointed at me. "You're the person we don't like!" I defensively raised my paws.

 **Lord Beerus:** "Okay, okay, I get it. I get the message." I put my paws back down in my lap. "Are you two the only members?"

 **Lord Quitela:** "Yeah. What of it?"

 **Lord Beerus:** "It's a little small, don't you think? Kind of like you, Quitela." He sighed angrily.

 **Lord Quitela:** "You know, you're usually an asshole, but this is worse because I don't think you're trying to be one on purpose."

 **Lord Beerus:** "I'm sorry, I'm a little drunk. Like, six. Or seven. On a scale of ten." I held my chin with my right paw in thought. "But my drunkenness might have gone down. I'm not slurring or stuttering my words nearly as bad." I let go of my chin. "Even if that's true, I still don't want you guys to tell anyone!"

 **Lord Champa:** "Don't worry, we won't." I whipped my head around.

 **Lord Beerus:** "Really? You mean it?" He nodded.

 **Lord Champa:** "Yeah. But we will tell you to go away." On either side of my body, I slammed the couch with my fists repeatedly.

 **Lord Beerus:** "Ah! Come on! Shit, piss, fuck, cunt, cocksucker, motherfucker!"

 **Lord Quitela:** "Wow. That's a colorful language you have there," Quitela commented.

 **Lord Beerus:** "It's not fair!" I looked over at Champa. "About twenty minutes ago I came inside once. After that, I came outside, only to find out that I need to come inside again. I did that, I just came in here, but you're telling me that I need to come outside _again_? Come on! A man needs time! You can't just keep telling him to keep coming! So, that's it, I'm done! I already came three times! You're not going to make me come." I crossed my arms in a huff. Champa's just staring at me completely deadpan.

 **Lord Champa:** "Are...are you doing that on purpose?"

 **Lord Beerus:** "Doing what on purpose?" He continued his one-sided staring contest for a couple of seconds before sighing.

 **Lord Champa:** "Nothing. Just...I don't know, go hang out with the Angels. They're all together in one place. Talking, reading, playing chess. Some boring strategy game that I don't feel like learning anytime soon." I stood up angrily.

 **Lord Beerus:** "Maybe I will! And I'll have _so_ much more fun with them than I _ever_ did here with you two and your stupid club! So, ha!"

* * *

I regret everything in life! I'm so bored, I feel like crying! I don't want to read, I don't want to talk, and I don't want to learn that stupid strategy game! I'm sitting in a chair at one of the tables in this horrible, evil, _boring_ room. The walls are painted grey, a terrible choice of color for _any_ room. There are bookcases everywhere. A ridiculous amount of chess boards. This is Hell. And I'm alone.

Well, Goku's wife is here, talking about this and that with Vados, Cus, Marcarita, and Martinu. Chi-Chi's holding Bulla and Vados is holding Pan. Huh. For some reason, Vados never struck me as the baby holding type. Another God of Destruction is here, Bosco, so I thought that I could do something with him. But he's stuck in a game of chess with Whis. No, my mistake, it's technically not Bosco. It's Mule. He's not in his robot right now because he wouldn't be able to...to...

 **Lord Beerus:** "Hey, Bosco...uh, Mule...whatever I call you now, why aren't you in your robot again?"

 **Lord Mule:** "I wouldn't be able to manipulate the pieces nearly as effectively if I was in Bosco," he answered without taking his eyes off of the board. The only thing that game has going for it is the checker pattern. I really can't understand how anyone could find it fun. There's no _real_ action in it! "Also, you treat Bosco as an entity separate from myself," he added. I shrugged.

 **Lord Beerus:** "Okay. Good to know. And you know what? I'm just going to tell _myself_ to 'Go away.' Okay?" No one's answering. "Okay. Bye, everyone. Don't die of boredom," I muttered to myself. I don't mind being in a more peaceful environment, but this is just...no.

 **Whis:** "Oh, yes, before you leave, may I remind you of something, my lord?" my Angel asked right before I walked out of the room. I turned around. He's still focused on his game and he has his right index finger pointing up at nothing in particular. I still hate that. If you're going to make a point while pointing, actually _point_ at something! Did I say that word enough?

 **Lord Beerus:** "What is it, Whis?" I asked in a bored voice.

 **Whis:** "I simply want you to refrain from cursing for the rest of the day." I haven't been swearing _that_ often today! Let's say I _have_ been swearing a lot, how would he know? Has he been spying on me? Peeper!

 **Lord Beerus:** "I'll say whatever I damn well please! So long, buzzkills!" With my right paw, I saluted the murderers of fun and walked out of the room. Asking me not to swear. Fuck that! I'll never stop! Anyway, I wonder if there's another group I haven't found yet?

* * *

Apparently, yes. A big group in fact. A meditation group. I don't mind a little meditating. They all let me in, which was quite nice of them. At the moment we're all sitting down in a line with our legs crossed. I'm holding my paws together in my lap. We're in one of those circular rooms where there's one big window going around the entire place to allow constant light to flow in. The floor is made up of beautiful green grass. I think that it's real. It feels real. There are also all sorts of flowers in different colors. They remind me of the different colors of ki. There is even one of those rock formations with a pond inside of it. The perfect meditation garden.

The people that are here with me are Piccolo, Tien, and Roshi. I can remember them easily enough because they were part of my team in the tournament. Oddly, I can also remember Chiaotzu and Puar. I think I only ever heard their names once. There's also one other person here that I can't remember. I know he helped me win in baseball against my brother a while ago, but I still can't place his name. If that's not selective memory, I don't know what is.

 **Lord Beerus:** "Psst. Piccolo," I whispered.

 **Piccolo:** "Yes, Lord Beerus?"

 **Lord Beerus:** "I don't remember who that person is. The person with a lot of hair on top of his head."

 **Yamcha:** "Are you talking about me?"

 **Lord Beerus:** "I don't know. My eyes are closed."

 **Puar:** "Then how about you open them?"

 **Lord Beerus:** "Oh, right, I can just do that...Puar? Chiaotzu? Which one of you said that? Your voices are too similar."

 **Puar:** "I did," I heard from in front of me. I opened my eyes to see the shapeshifting blue cat-like creature.

 **Lord Beerus:** "And you're Puar, right?"

 **Puar:** "Uh-huh."

 **Lord Beerus:** "Okay, that's what I thought."

 **Yamcha:** "Wait a second, why do you remember Puar and Chiaotzu but not me? I got the winning run in baseball when we played together!" I looked to my left and shrugged.

 **Lord Beerus:** "I don't know. I suppose that you're just easily forgettable. Speaking of which, why weren't you at the Tournament of Power? Is it because you're ridiculously weak?"

 **Yamcha:** "What?! That's-that's not true!" He quickly stood up and pointed his right thumb at himself, looking very determined. "I am very strong! Do you hear me? Strong. I just wanted to give the other universes a chance, that's all." I stood up and squinted at him.

 **Lord Beerus:** "Are you sure?" I looked him over several times. "I don't know, I can barely feel anything from you." He crossed his arms, looking very displeased with me.

 **Yamcha:** "Whatever, man. You're just being mean."

 **Lord Beerus:** "I don't know what you're talking about. I just asked a question and spoke my opinion. I don't know when that became a crime."

 **Master Roshi:** "It's not a crime, but it doesn't change the fact that you were still being rude and you insulted Yamcha." Wow. By now everyone's standing up and it's making me feel like I'm being ganged up on.

 **Lord Beerus:** "It's not that serious. I was just joking around!"

 **Tien:** "Then next time you should tell an actual joke instead of making fun of Yamcha. Being drunk doesn't excuse you from consequences."

 **Lord Beerus:** "So what if on the drunkenness scale I'm a six or maybe a seven? I think that it's gotten better, by the way. Look, I can talk. It's not illegal. Besides, who are you, my mom? If you want to tell me what to do, then next time _you_ should wear a headband. What?" Tien looks disappointed. Everyone looks disappointed in fact. "Go away?" Silently, Tien nodded. "Damn it!" I cursed under my breath. Ugh. Well, I'm not going to put up a fight. I kind of expected this to happen...again. Without another word, I walked out of the room. I swear, my visits to all of these different groups are getting shorter and shorter and shorter. Where the hell do I go now? I've practically hung out with everybody. And that's saying something because there are a lot of people here!

Okay, who haven't I hung out with yet? Let's see. I think Bulma? Yes, I haven't hung out with her yet. I haven't seen her in a while. Not since I yelled at her. This could be the perfect time to apologize! It's only right. I wonder, though, will she want to see me? I honestly don't know. Oh, what am I thinking? I'm sure enough time has passed for her to calm down and understand what _she_ did wrong. I mean, she wasn't completely innocent herself, if I remember correctly. All right, then, I've decided! Bulma it is! And she's not that far away from me. Bonus! Onward, myself!

I wonder what she's doing right now? It's hard to tell. I don't sense anyone else's energy. Is she all alone? I feel bad if that's the case. No one deserves to be alone. Finally, after my short walk, I've made it to the door. All I need to do is go into the room and give her some company!

 **Bulma:** "...Yeah, Lord Beerus isn't that bad. He's a good God of Destruction, all things considered." Or...maybe not. I leaned against the door and pressed my right ear up against it. Is this wrong? Maybe. But people are talking about me! I have to know everyone's opinions!

 **Lady Heles:** "Really? Because I've heard that he's threatened to destroy your planet multiple times. He nearly destroyed it over pudding." I was wondering where Heles was. Why couldn't I sense her? Did she not want to be found? Weird. Also, in my defense, pudding is amazing and I was disrespected and cheated out of it the first time around! "I've had a cup of it and to be completely honest, I don't know what the big deal is. It's nothing special." She's insane! Either that or she has no taste buds!

 **Bulma:** "I mean it. Even though it's really easy to upset him and he does act selfishly sometimes, he is _definitely_ not the worst person I've ever met." Heles let out an amused sounding chuckle.

 **Lady Heles:** "I suppose you're right. And I'm sure that if he was here, he would be leaning up against the door with his ear pressed up against it, listening intently." I scrunched my face in confusion, took my ear off of the door, and looked straight at it. That's an oddly specific thing to say out of the blue. Whatever, back to listening intently. Hey, they stopped talking! I don't hear anything at all anymore! What's going on here? Suddenly, the entrance opened, revealing a neutral looking Bulma. Uh-oh. This could be bad.

 **Bulma:** "Hello, Lord Beerus." I stared up at her through the corner of my eye. I'm still in the same position as if there's an invisible entryway I'm leaning on.

 **Lord Beerus:** "Hello."

 **Bulma:** "What were you doing, if you don't mind me asking?"

 **Lord Beerus:** "I was...appreciating the door." I stood up, moved over to it, and hugged it. "I love you, door. You've always helped me to transition to other areas of my life." I stopped my hugging and looked at my arms. "I'd also like to thank my arms for always being by my side. I'd like to thank my legs for never letting me down and my tail for always having my back. Um...what's something clever I can say about my ears?"

 **Lord Liquiir:** "Thank you, ears, for always helping me to eavesdrop from miles away." I rolled my eyes.

 **Lord Beerus:** "Ha, ha, very funny. I wasn't..." I suddenly gasped. Is that who I think it is?! I looked ahead of Bulma to find my best friend sitting on a couch in another _fucking_ living room! The same one my team had our meeting in before the tournament. How did I not recognize this place earlier? No, that doesn't matter! What does matter is why does Bulma have so many living rooms?! No, that doesn't matter, either! It's Liquiir! I excitedly waved at him "Liquiir! Hi!" He waved back with a kind smile.

 **Lord Liquiir:** "Hi, how are-whoa!" Without any warning, I picked him up off of the couch and spun him around. After a few twirls, I set him back down on the ground and hugged him tightly.

 **Lord Beerus:** "Liquiir, it feels like I haven't seen you in years!" He laughed and hugged me back.

 **Lord Liquiir:** "I know! It's been so long!" He moved his head back to look at me. "Now, how about you let me go and sit next to me so we can all catch up?" I held onto him a little tighter.

 **Lord Beerus:** "But I don't want to let you go..." I told him with a sniffle and a cracking voice. His smiling face changed to a concerned one.

 **Lord Liquiir:** "Beerus, what's wrong?"

 **Lord Beerus:** "N-nothing, it's just that...I'm so sorry!" I buried my face in Liquiir's chest, trying to pull a disappearing act. "I'm so sorry! I'm so sorry! I'm so sorry!"

 **Lady Heles:** "Well now. That's a huge difference compared to how you were feeling only a few seconds ago."

 **Lord Beerus:** "I-I can't help it! I feel so horrible! I'm so sorry, Liquiir!" My words are being muffled by his fur, but they're still loud enough for the others to hear. He gently moved me back so that I'm face to face with him again.

 **Lord Liquiir:** "It's okay, I promise! If this is about earlier, I already forgave you." I shook my head.

 **Lord Beerus:** "No, don't give me that!" Wiping the tears from my eyes, I now realize something important: alcohol makes me sad! "I-I hurt you when I didn't mean to!" I looked over at Bulma. "And Bulma! I was so mean to you for no reason!" I let go of Liquiir and moved a little closer to her. "I-I shouldn't have gotten so mad at you. I was bored and you were just trying to help me by giving me something to do. Oh, and Quitela! Well, actually, fuck Quitela. I'm not taking back what I said! I can't remember exactly what it was, but I'm not taking it back! For the people I don't hate, I wish that I could take back what I said and did! I've ruined so many people's good times! I'm such a terrible person! A real dick!" I'm starting to breathe faster than I'm comfortable with and my head's hurting. I placed my paw on the side of my head and moved away from everyone and near the couch. I'm starting to get somewhat light-headed.

 **Bulma:** "Lord Beerus, breathe! You'll hyperventilate if you keep going like this. Just calm down."

 **Lord Beerus:** "How?! How do you expect me to calm down at a time like this?! How do you-" I suddenly felt something lightly and comfortingly grab onto my shoulders, stopping me from going on another blubbering rant. It's Liquiir's doing. I turned my head to see his worried and caring face.

 **Lord Liquiir:** "Beerus, it's okay. We both forgive you and everyone in this room thinks you're amazing. We're all your friends and we want nothing but the best for you. And what's best for you right now is to breathe, sit down, and relax. Does that sound good?" I nodded slowly. Afterward, I inhaled and exhaled deeply. "Are you okay?"

 **Lord Beerus:** "Not entirely, but I'm better." He lead me by the shoulders to the couch and had me sit down on it. He then sat next to me on my left. "Thank you for being my best friend," I told him as I used one of his tails to wipe away my tears. His body jumped a little and for a split second he also looked surprised, shocked even, but he's letting me...hold onto his...tail. I looked down at it and then back up at him. Of course, it was his tail! I'd be startled if someone grabbed mine, too. He suddenly gave me a small and friendly smile.

 **Lord Liquiir:** "I'm just happy to be here for you." I smiled back at his kind words. If I had any misgivings about holding onto such a delicate part of him without his permission, I don't anymore. I looked over at Bulma.

 **Lord Beerus:** "I'm sorry, Bulma, I don't what came over me." She walked over and sat down next to me on my right.

 **Bulma:** "Don't worry about it. Making sure you feel happy is important." Everyone cares about me. That's...really nice to know. I sighed deeply, closed my eyes, and rested my head on the back of the furniture while I absentmindedly pet my best friend's tail.

 **Lady Heles:** "Liquiir," Heles suddenly spoke, "you don't mind Beerus using your tails like tissues or petting them like that?"

 **Lord Liquiir:** "No. I don't."

 **Lady Heles:** "I see..." And silence has filled the room. What do you say after you've seen someone cry and be so vulnerable? I'm like a completely different person when I'm drunk. "Well, in any case, I think now would be a good time to let you two talk. Bulma, I believe you mentioned that Videl had a surprise for you?"

 **Bulma:** "That's right, I did. She called me not that long ago. She was working on something for the party." And I know what that something is...I hope that she managed to save it. "I'll get you two in ten minutes." I opened my eyes and looked at her.

 **Lord Beerus:** "What happens in ten minutes?"

 **Bulma:** "Right now it's..." Bulma took out her phone from her right pocket. "One thirty. At one forty I was planning one final get-together with everyone because the party ends at two o'clock pm. It would be risky to have you all here any longer than that. Even two hours is risky. Anyway, that's the plan. Okay?" I nodded.

 **Lord Beerus:** "That sounds great. I can't wait to see what Videl did with the cake that I almost completely ruined." My eyes widened and I sat straight up. "No, wait!" I slapped my forehead. "Fuck! I ruined the surprise!"

 **Bulma:** "It's fine, you didn't. Videl told me everything when I asked what she was working on." I breathed a sigh of relief.

 **Lord Beerus:** "Okay, good. I'll see you in ten minutes, I guess." She nodded.

 **Bulma:** "See you in ten minutes." She got up and waved. "Bye, Liquiir." He waved back.

 **Lord Liquiir:** "Bye, Bulma." With that Bulma and Heles left the room, leaving me and Liquiir alone together. I looked over at him.

 **Lord Beerus:** "She doesn't refer to you as 'Lord'?"

 **Lord Liquiir:** "I believe that's too formal. Friends shouldn't have to be formal with one another. If you want, you could try it with her." I shrugged.

 **Lord Beerus:** "I don't know, that sounds weird to me. And if drunk Beerus thinks that it's weird, I can only imagine what sober Beerus would think of it." He chuckled a little.

 **Lord Liquiir:** "I like how you're acting like they are different people."

 **Lord Beerus:** "They might as well be. Have you ever been drunk?"

 **Lord Liquiir:** "No. I'm not particular to alcohol. I will drink it, but only on special occasions and never in excess."

 **Lord Beerus:** "Oh. You're pure. Well, if you ever _do_ get drunk, you'll know what I mean. But I don't want to talk about how drunk I am. I want to talk about...um...what do you want to talk about?" His smile grew a little wider.

 **Lord Liquiir:** "Drunk or sober, you're still the same Beerus I know." He wrapped his arm around my shoulder. "I guess I'll just start with the obvious: what have you been up to?"

 **Lord Beerus:** "First, I hung out with Princess Videl. I...squished the cake she was making. A little bit. After she told me to go away I went to go see Prince Gohan. I was hoping to learn how to play the game he was teaching, table tennis, but I ended up saying the wrong thing to Belmod and I had to leave. After that, I hung out with Champa and Quitela. They didn't want me there. Then I spent some time with our Angels. The biggest mistake I've ever made. I meditated with Piccolo along with other people soon after that. Again, the same story. I had to leave because I said the wrong thing. Finally, I came here. That's about it."

 **Lord Liquiir:** "Ah, okay. And how are you feeling?"

 **Lord Beerus:** "Right now? I'm feeling pretty good. I mean, there were a few bumps here and there," I told him while moving my head from left to right. "But for the most part, I've been having a great time today."

 **Lord Liquiir:** "I'm glad to hear it. I'm happy when you're happy." I smiled at him.

 **Lord Beerus:** "Thank you!" I tilted my head to the right. "If you don't mind me asking, why were you talking about me?" He took his arm back and folded his paws in his lap.

 **Lord Liquiir:** "To be perfectly honest, I was giving Bulma and Heles a culture lesson about my people. When I finished explaining some parts of my culture, Bulma asked both of us what being a Destroyer is like. One thing lead to another until eventually, Heles asked how _you_ do. That's about the time when you showed up."

 **Lord Beerus:** "Okay. Do you think you could give me a quick lesson?"

 **Lord Liquiir:** "Sure, I'll be happy to!" he eagerly agreed. "You know how you're petting my tail, right?" I looked down at the appendage I've been gently stroking all this time. I looked up at him again.

 **Lord Beerus:** "Yes."

 **Lord Liquiir:** "You see, our tails mean a lot to us. They give us some degree of strength and longevity. You can kind of think of them as extra hearts, but they are so much more. Our physical, mental, and even spiritual health are tied to them. If we were to ever have them injured, we would actually become sick and weaken. Drastically so if they were lost. If that were to happen, our lifespan would decrease, as well. Additionally, we may fall into a deep depression, especially if we lost all of them. There have also been cases of my people committing...suicide after they had lost all of their tails." My eyes widened in shock. What the fuck?! Excuse me?! If I had been drinking anything, I would have done a spit take! If I had been eating something, I would be choking right now! I quickly let go of Liquiir's tail and crossed my arms tightly. So tightly that it's as if an invisible straight jacket was just put on me.

 **Lord Beerus:** "Suicide? They mean that much to you and your people?" He nodded in confirmation. "Then why were you letting me pet it?"

 **Lord Liquiir:** "It's because _you_ mean a lot to me. And I completely trust you. I know that you would never hurt me. If I didn't think that I wouldn't let you anywhere near them. That's how much faith I have in you. Actually, no. _This_ is how much faith I have in you." Slowly but surely all three moved over to me, but I feel like he's waiting for something. Is it me? Does he want _me_ to grab them? I looked at him nervously.

 **Lord Beerus:** "Are...are you sure?"

 **Lord Liquiir:** "Yes, I'm sure." Okay, then...I very carefully reached over and softly grabbed all of them. He flinched slightly, but like before, he's not saying anything and he's not making any attempt to stop me. I wiped my forehead with my right paw even though I'm not sweating. I guess the action helps me to calm down.

But damn. This is so tense. If I do one wrong thing, I'll hurt Liquiir deeply on many different levels. Even worse, I'll lose him as my best friend. Still, he's putting his well-being and our friendship at risk because he trusts me that much. Someone who's known for destroying entire planets on a whim, to hold and pet them. I feel honored but at the same time terrified.

I placed the three pillowy extremities between my fingers and moved my paw in the opposite direction. I'm still hearing no complaints, so I gently continued to repeat the gesture. It's like what you'd sometimes do with your fur or your hair or something. The softness of them between your fingers feel nice when you move them the other way. "You could do more...if you want." More? What does he mean by that? I...I guess it's time to experiment.

I wrapped one tail around my waist like a belt and put the second behind my head, using it as a cushion. I looked over at him. He's staring intently at me, seemingly in anticipation. But for what? Maybe he's waiting for the moment when I stop. He might have faith in me, however, it doesn't exactly mean that he's entirely comfortable with this. That's my guess. Finally, as for the third tail, I'm now hugging it closely while petting near the end of it.

 **Lord Beerus:** "Is this what you meant?" He nodded and looked away.

 **Lord Liquiir:** "Mm-hmm." Whoa. He's hunched over, his breathing sounds shaky, and he's clenching his paws together tightly in front of his face, almost like he's praying. Praying for me to stop, probably. I think that now would be a good place to. I released all of his tails and gave them back to him. He inhaled and exhaled deeply. "Th-thank you."

 **Lord Beerus:** "You're welcome. It means a lot to me that you trust me so much. I'm drunk right now, you know that, but you're still letting me hold and do...whatever to your tails." He looked over at me and gave me a small smile.

 **Lord Liquiir:** "It comes with the territory of being best friends." I smiled back at him. "Besides, it looks like you've gotten better." I nodded.

 **Lord Beerus:** "I'm not going to lie, half an hour ago I was a mess. On the drunkenness scale, I was, like, a six or a seven. That scale is ten. But now, I'm a two or a three. I guess my divine met...met...what's the word I'm looking for?"

 **Lord Liquiir:** "Metabolism. If we want to get technical, you're referring to alcohol metabolism, or how your body breaks down alcohol."

 **Lord Beerus:** "Oh, okay. But yes, I think my body breaks it down a lot faster than your average mortal. So much faster. One of the many perks of being a god. Also, I'm not going to lie. If I came here earlier, you would probably be punching me in the face because my state of mind was much worse."

 **Lord Liquiir:** "From what I've heard, that sounds about right." We both shared a laugh at that. This is the most fun I've had today! Is...is it sad that me talking about getting my face punched is the highlight of today? Probably. My ears twitched at a sudden sound coming from the door. Liquiir and I looked over just in time to see Bulma coming in.

 **Bulma:** "Hey, guys. Sounds like you're both having a good time."

 **Lord Liquiir:** "Of course. It was hard, but I can have fun with anyone." I scoffed and lightly pushed his shoulder.

 **Lord Beerus:** "You don't know what you're talking about. I'm lots of fun." He pushed me back.

 **Lord Liquiir:** "That's debatable." There we go. I was wondering if I was going to see his trademark smile again today. He looked over at Bulma and stood up. "So, it's time to meet up with everyone again, right?"

 **Bulma:** "Uh-huh. We're all meeting outside by the gazebo." I stood up and nodded.

 **Lord Beerus:** "Sounds good to me. Oh, and Bulma? Please pardon my earlier behavior."

 **Bulma:** "It's okay, I don't hold it against you. Alcohol tends to have that effect on people. So do pregnancies, which is what your mood swing reminded me of. I got them and they were really bad on some days." My drunkenness is being compared to a pregnancy? Wonderful. That's what I want to hear.

 **Lord Beerus:** "I'm sure they were," I said indifferently." In any case, don't tell anyone about how hysterical I got."

 **Bulma:** "I wouldn't dream of it."

 **Lord Beerus:** "Excellent. If you can, try to delete that memory...from your memory. I know I will." I cleared my throat. "Let's go." After that declaration the three of us left the room together. The end is near! With any luck, no one will want to hit me as soon as I get outside.

* * *

Yay, me! No one wanted to kick my ass! I mean, a lot of people were still a little pissed off. _A lot_ of people. But I apologized and everyone forgave me easily enough. I didn't turn into a sniffling mess again either, thankfully. Sober Beerus would never have been able to live that down.

Of course, even if any of the other Destroyers wanted to kick my ass - I honestly don't have anything to fear from the mortals - they had to leave fifteen minutes early. Go figure. Just as soon as I became more or less normal they all had to go back to their universes! They even almost missed the pretty rainbow cake! I'm happy that it was saved and that I managed to apologize, but I wish that they could have stayed until the celebration actually ended. It was fifteen lousy minutes! I wanted to talk to them more! Wait, I wanted to talk to them more? Ugh, I am still so drunk.

Anyway, I'm eating my third slice at one of the setup picnic tables with Liquiir sitting on my right. He's the only one who didn't have to leave, not that I'm complaining. He's also been sticking to me like glue ever since we got here. He must be making sure that I don't say or do something stupid again and cause more problems. Or he's making sure no one does punch me. Maybe it's both, but I don't care what the reason is. I have someone to talk to this way. Strangely enough, he didn't take his piece of cake when it was offered. I suppose he's not hungry. Heh. More for me!

 **Lord Liquiir:** "Hey, Beerus, I was wondering something," he suddenly said. My mouth is full, so I can't exactly answer him right now. "Did you _truly_ have fun today?" I swallowed my food and looked at him.

 **Lord Beerus:** "Yes. Maybe not the _most_ fun I've ever had, but I did have fun." He looked away and stared ahead at the forest in front of us.

 **Lord Liquiir:** "Hm. Do you think you'd be saying that if you weren't a little drunk right now?" Would I? Well...

 **Lord Beerus:** "Honestly? Probably not. If you remember before I started drinking, I wasn't looking forward to this." He nodded.

 **Lord Liquiir:** "I remember..." He sighed. "Excuse me if this sounds incredibly conceited on my part, but I feel like the reason you drank so much is partly my fault and that makes me feel bad." I shook my head in disagreement.

 **Lord Beerus:** "No, it's not your fault at all. It's all mine. _I_ feel bad right now. You could be enjoying yourself right now and you're stuck babysitting me." He looked at me again.

 **Lord Liquiir:** "It's okay. I don't mind watching over you." What hurts the most about that statement is that he really means it. It's only making me feel even more guilty about this whole situation I put him in.

 **Lord Beerus:** "It's not okay. It's not. I just...look, I want to make it up to you. How about we spend the entire day tomorrow together at your home, starting at ten o'clock am. We can do whatever you want. We'll have lots of fun and I won't take no for answer. So, what's your answer?" He chuckled.

 **Lord Liquiir:** "I could answer that in so many ways. There are a lot of other words and phrases that mean 'No.' But I would be a liar if I said that I _don't_ want that. I mean, you don't have to do that for me, although that idea _does_ sound great. The answer I'm getting at is yes." I smiled and wrapped my arm around his shoulder.

 **Lord Beerus:** "There we go! Speaking of great, someone like you shouldn't be sad. You deserve nothing but happiness." He wrapped his arm around my shoulder. We've been doing this a lot, lately. But I don't mind. It's nice.

 **Lord Liquiir:** "Thank you. You, too." Excellent! Just as I planned, the plan's coming together!

 **Korn:** "Ahem. Lord Liquiir, I'm sorry to interrupt your time with Lord Beerus, but it's time to return to our universe now."

 **Lord Liquiir:** "Really? That's a shame." He took his arm back and stood up. I stood up with him.

 **Lord Beerus:** "That sucks is what it is."

 **Lord Liquiir:** "True, but as you know, a God of Destruction's job is never finished." Yes, because I definitely _don't_ have a very low mortal ranking and I definitely _don't_ have a ridiculous amount of time on my paws. He looked at his assistant. "You heard our plan for tomorrow, right?" He nodded.

 **Korn:** "Indeed, I did. It sounds like an excellent idea."

 **Whis:** "Oh, I concur!" Whis added, who is standing behind me. "I believe that it would do my lord some good. It's much better than having him sleep weeks, even years on end."

 **Lord Beerus:** "Be quiet, Whis! You don't know what you're talking about!" Liquiir balled his right paw into a fist and brought it up to his mouth.

 **Lord Liquiir:** "Cough! Hide and seek! Cough!" I turned around and focused my attention on the cheeky bastard.

 **Lord Beerus:** "Oh, yeah?! Well, guess what? You can forget about our plan for tomorrow! What do you think about that?" I asked as I crossed my arms. He just shrugged.

 **Lord Liquiir:** "Think about what? Did we plan something? I forgot already." I groaned in annoyance.

 **Lord Beerus:** "Why am I not surprised?"

 **Lord Liquiir:** "Ha, ha! Because you know me all too well." He went over to Korn and placed his right paw on the Angel's back and waved with his left. "Goodbye, Beerus! See you tomorrow! Goodbye to everyone else! I'll be sure to come back when I can!" We all waved and said our goodbyes as the two left. Wait. Liquiir joked about the All-Universe Hide and Seek Tournament. He almost got erased, along with me and everyone else, and he _actually_ joked about that! If that doesn't prove he's over it, I don't know what will.

 **Whis:** "I believe that now would be a good time to leave," Whis suggested from my right side. "Wouldn't you agree?" I looked at him and nodded.

 **Lord Beerus:** "Yes, I do." I turned my attention to the others. Goodbye, everyone. I had a lot of fun. Let's never do it again." Bulma sighed. She looks like she's going to say something important.

 **Bulma:** "Lord Beerus...I'm glad you had fun." Oh. That's a letdown, I thought there was going to be more to that. For some reason, I feel like she wanted to say something else. Whatever.

 **Lord Beerus:** "Thank you very much. I wish I could stay longer, but that's a lie. I don't really wish that at all." I placed my right paw on my attendant's back. "Let's go, Whis!"

 **Whis:** "Of course. Good day, everyone." With a simple tap of his staff, we left to go back to my world before any unwanted guests could join us. Knowing those two, if we didn't leave when we did, they would have just grabbed on without a second thought. It's only been a few days since the tournament, but I can tell that they're eager to start doing _something_ that involves fighting. Although they've both accomplished so much, especially Goku, they're never satisfied. They'll always want to see if they can improve further.

In Goku's case, anything is possible with that man. He mastered Ultra Instinct after only a few battles, whereas I am only halfway or so to complete mastery. But, am I jealous of him? No, not at all, never, maybe, a little bit. Even so, I'm still proud of him and Vegeta. And now, if I want to, I have sparring partners. That being said, if they do visit my planet once more, perhaps they'd rather spar for real? I don't know.

What I _do_ know for a fact is that they both would still love a fight if one presented itself. Honestly, though, why can't they just relax? Tch. That's like asking if Liquiir can stop being a smartass. They can't do it. It's in their nature. Their annoying, punch-happy, Saiyan nature. "Lord Beerus," Whis started, "how are you going to prepare for your special day tomorrow?" I got into a sitting position and crossed my legs.

 **Lord Beerus:** "'Special'? I'm not getting married. Also, are you kidding me? My head's hurting. As soon as I get home, I'm going to sleep. That's how _I'm_ preparing."

 **Whis:** "I see. I am afraid that it is your fault for drinking with such reckless abandon. You should consider yourself lucky that your body is capable of metabolizing alcohol so much more quickly than most other beings."

 **Lord Beerus:** "I know, I know" I agreed while holding my head with my right paw. "Tell me about how my body metabolizes that _evil_ liquid," I told him sarcastically.

 **Whis:** "I'd be happy to!" No, wait, I didn't mean it! "When you drink an alcoholic beverage, around two to eight percent is lost through urine, sweat, or breathing. The other ninety-two to ninety-eight percent is metabolized by your body. All ethyl alcohol, which is broken down in your body, is first converted to acetaldehyde, and then this acetaldehyde is converted into acetic acid radicals - also known as acetyl radicals." Why me?! Am I not being tortured enough with this headache?!

 **Lord Beerus:** "I've changed my mind, Whis! My head is hurting a thousand times worse! I'll be taking that nap now. With that being said, shut up and goodnight."

 **Whis:** "As you wish. Goodnight." Finally! I happily closed my eyes. After a day like today, with all of its ups and downs, I need to rest more than anyone else.

* * *

 **I went through** _ **so**_ **many ideas on what to do with drunk Beerus, which included having him and many other people play War, Uno, or Would You Rather, before deciding on just having him wander around the general area and cause a lot of trouble.** **I'm sorry if I made the interactions between Beerus and Liquiir** _ **too**_ **sweet. Well, I suppose right now they're more brotherly than anything.**

 **As always, I hope you all enjoyed! Until** **the next chapter,** **D.F.T.B.A. (Don't Forget To Be Awesome!) Have an awesome day!**


	4. Too Close for Comfort

**Too Close for Comfort**

 **Hello, how are you all doing? So...the last episode of Dragon Ball Super aired. If that doesn't prove I'm a slow writer, I don't know what does. On the bright side, I finally made my summary a summary. And normally, you're supposed to actually write out numbers. But, after a quick review of the anime and manga, the universe names are not. It's just the numbers. Which was** _ **really**_ **convenient for writing the summary. Yay! I also updated my profile** _ **a lot**_. **It's much more full, informative, and above all spiffier.**

 **With all of that out of the way, I have to admit that I'm a little ashamed of myself for not updating in so long. Some days, I didn't work at all. I didn't feel motivated. Not because I want to stop writing this story. I love it so much! It's mostly because the ideas weren't flowing to me as easily as the other chapters and that discouraged me. However, near the end, I found my inspiration! I also have a good idea for the fifth chapter, so hopefully, it will come sooner than this one.**

 **Thank you for your patience and without any further ado, enjoy!**

* * *

I feel like an excited young child who's stayed up all night, eagerly waiting for their first day of school before realizing exactly how horrible it is. Not that hanging out with Liquiir is going to be horrible. It's going to be great! I...I don't know why I made that comparison. I'll be honest and say that I'm a little sleep deprived. As soon as I got home, I went to my bed and collapsed on it. I never even changed into my sleeping robe.

However, when midnight came around, I woke up and I just couldn't fall back asleep. For me, that sounds unbelievable, but it's unfortunately true. It's not due to a lack of trying, either. I lied down with my eyes closed. I meditated. I was forced to read a book to try and sleep! But, as it turned out, I actually like reading about wildlife, so it wasn't a complete waste of time.

In all fairness, I feel like I really _have_ accomplished a lot since I awoke. Let's see, now. I took a nice, long, hot bath and changed into clean clothes. I ate the breakfast that Whis served me. Something from Earth called chocolate chip pancakes with melted butter on top of it. They were quitedelicious and coupled with milk? It was a truly wonderful combination that few other food combinations I've had can compete with.

I suppose waking myself up and staying awake in the first place is an achievement. Whis, always being the annoying person he is, commented on it. "Oh, wow, you woke yourself up! Were you _choosing_ to be lazy these millions of years? Or is this a very rare occasion and you're still naturally quite lethargic?" Sometimes, I wish that I could give his ass the boot. But the rules are that a Destroyer must have an Angel to watch over them. There's nothing I can do about that.

It's nine fifty-three right now and we're making excellent time. According to him, we'll arrive at our destination at the time I set up exactly. Also, why does the word "destination" sound weird to me all of a sudden? Yesterday's kind of a blur for me, so if something happened with that word, I don't remember. Although, I'm not going to worry about it. I'm going to have a great time with my best friend. I know it!

 **Whis:** "It's nice to see how eager you are," my attendant noted with a pleased and also amused undertone, breaking the silence between us. "I don't think I've seen you smile this much in many years."

 **Lord Beerus:** "Oh? Is that so?" I brought my right paw up to my face to confirm his claims. Uh-huh, I'm definitely smiling. I've been doing it so much today that I didn't even notice! "So, I am. Should it come as any surprise? This is the first time in a while that I've had the chance to do something _really_ fun. Sure, there were some moments. Like beating my brother. Twice." I say that and not three times because I don't include the Tournament of Power for hopefully obvious reasons. "And fighting Goku when he first became a Super Saiyan God was entertaining. But this is going to be much, _much_ better." The Angel laughed good-heartedly.

 **Whis:** "I'm certain that he feels the same way," he optimistically stated. I'm certain of that, too. Arching my back, I looked around us anxiously.

 **Lord Beerus:** "Hey, Whis, exactly how long will it be until we reach our destination?"

 **Whis:** "In exactly six minutes and thirty-seven seconds we shall arrive at Lord Liquiir's home," he answered with no hesitation. I nodded.

 **Lord Beerus:** "I see. I ask because I actually want to get there faster. Right now, in fact."

 **Whis:** "What do you say, my lord?" Seriously? We're doing this? I sighed and shook my head.

 **Lord Beerus:** "Please," I grumbled.

 **Whis:** "Please...what?" Oh, my...! "You often request that others must be respectful in your presence and you're not being so, yourself, by not specifying what you want."

 **Lord Beerus:** "You know what I want! I told you before!"

 **Whis:** "Not with the magic word." Ugh. I can _hear_ him smiling. He's loving this. "There's no point in asking if you fail to practice what you preach, don't you agree?"

 **Lord Beerus:** "I get it, Whis. There's no need to lecture me."

 **Whis:** "Not lecturing. Simply informing." I'm now glaring daggers at the back of his head and clenching my left paw into a tight fist. I really can't care any less about his "informing." The only reason I'm going along with this so quietly is because I _just_ want to spend time with my best friend already!

 **Lord Beerus:** "Okay, I understand. Will you _please_ go faster so we can get to our place of interest?"

 **Whis:** "There we are, that's much better!" I hate you so much, sometimes. With a simple wave of his scepter, we seemingly teleported onto a landing pad atop one of the buildings. Ow, damn it! The sudden change in scenery is hurting my eyes! I covered them with my right paw and groaned. It looks like that alcohol is still affecting me. In fact, I actually do have a _slight_ hangover. Since we're above solid ground, I simply uncrossed my legs and stood.

 **Lord Beerus:** "Maybe it wasn't the best idea to move so quickly," I lamented out loud.

 **Lord Liquiir:** "Got a bit of motion sickness?" the Kitsunian joked to my right. I sighed and uncovered my eyes to find him and Korn standing about five feet away from me and Whis. "And _that's_ why you should never drink, divine being or not." I rolled my eyes, moved closer to him, and grabbed him by his right paw. I then proceeded to lead him away from our Angels without so much as uttering a single word. "Hey, where are we going?"

 **Lord Beerus:** "Away," I answered in an annoyed tone. I desperately need a break from Whis.

 **Lord Liquiir:** "Well, if you say so. Bye, Korn. Bye, Whis. You two can catch up." Korn nodded respectfully.

 **Korn:** "Very well, my lord." With that, we started floating upward and toward the ocean, still, paw in paw.

 **Whis:** "Do enjoy yourself, Lord Beerus!" Whis called after us. "And try not to become ill and regurgitate on poor Lord Liquiir."

 **Lord Beerus:** "Shut up!" I yelled back with _just_ the right amount of venom. Surprise, surprise, I can hear him laughing. Oh, how I _despise_ his condescending laughter! To get away from the horrible sound, Liquiir and I increased the speed of our flight. Like I mentioned before, _I desperately need a break_!

* * *

 **Lord Beerus:** "Damn, Whis! Damn him! Damn him! Damn him! I swear, he pisses me off on purpose! He practically _feeds_ off of my anger and he knows all too well that I can't do anything to him specifically. Oh, you forgot to say please! Oh, try not to get sick! Ah! Today is not the day for this! Today is _not_ the day for this!" I sighed deeply and held my head with my left paw. "Forgive me for my brooding. I just got here and I'm already griping like an old man. It's just that some days, everything Whis does, from his voice, his movement, to even his _breathing_ , makes me want to strangle him." Liquiir shrugged his shoulders.

 **Lord Liquiir:** "It's fine. If you need to gripe, gripe away. But...don't I also piss you off?"

 **Lord Beerus:** "Sometimes, but even when you do it's still different. He has a certain quality to him that I can't stand. With you, I know that you're just being playful. With him, it feels condescending. Yes, condescension. _That_ is what I can't stand."

 **Lord Liquiir:** "I see. That makes sense, condescension is never nice," he agreed.

 **Lord Beerus:** "Is Korn ever like that?" I asked hopefully. I honestly want Liquiir to say yes so I can confirm that I'm not the only Destroyer to have an annoying Angel. I know that Champa goes through this with Vados a lot, but he usually deserves it. I, however, don't deserve this treatment. Most of the time...

 **Lord Liquiir:** "No, he and I are on excellent terms with each other." Lucky. "But come on, let's not have this one bad experience ruin your day. Let's have fun!" I smiled and nodded.

 **Lord Beerus:** "Okay. That was the original plan, after all." I looked to our right and left. Since we're here at the ocean, we might as well do something. I looked back at him. "Do you want to just walk along the beach?"

 **Lord Liquiir:** "Sure! We can even look for seashells while we're at it."

 **Lord Beerus:** "Sounds good." Saying nothing else, we turned to our right and began walking side by side, with the large body of water being directly to my left. I wonder, how long has it been since I've walked along the shore of an ocean? Five million years, at the very least. It's kind of a shame, too, because I've always enjoyed it. I remember being a young kitten and having nothing but fun times here with my brother and our mom. We actually would collect seashells. Build sandcastles. Go swimming, obviously. Ah, those were good times.

Weird, my right arm is swinging back and forth and I'm not doing it myself. I looked down at my arm. Wait, what? Liquiir and I are walking paw in paw? I know that I grabbed it when I wanted to get away from Whis, but I seriously never let it go, even after all of this time? Okay, then. "Hey, Liquiir, how long are we going to walk like this?" He stopped swinging his arm and looked at me.

 **Lord Liquiir:** "Like what?" To answer his question, I lifted our arms up for a couple of seconds before putting them back down. "Oh, that. I don't know," he admitted honestly. "Until we reach the end of the beach?" I looked to and fro between our paws and his face several times. Finally, after what had to be the eighth time, I shrugged.

 **Lord Beerus:** "Okay." He smiled and resumed his swinging.

 **Lord Liquiir:** "You have to admit, we have a nice swing going." I smiled back.

 **Lord Beerus:** "Yeah, we do." Odd. I assumed that walking like this would be weird, but it's not. And that's what makes it weird. Does that even make sense?

 **Lord Liquiir:** "Hey, Beerus, look over there!" He excitedly pointed at some objects farther up ahead. I squinted my eyes to get a better look at them.

 **Lord Beerus:** "Are those shells?"

 **Lord Liquiir:** "Uh-huh. Come on!" Whoa! He's eagerly - and forcefully - pulling me ahead. He must _really_ love his shells. I have to jog to keep up with him! When we reached the items of interest, I let go of his paw and rolled my shoulder.

 **Lord Beerus:** "It's fine if you're keen on collecting seashells, but can you not tear my arm off in the process?" He laughed out of embarrassment and rubbed the back of his neck.

 **Lord Liquiir:** "Sorry about that, I just saw a really nice one that I thought you'd like." I stopped rolling my shoulder and looked down.

 **Lord Beerus:** "And which one would that be?" He bent down and picked up a large shell, about six inches in length, with both of his paws.

 **Lord Liquiir:** "This one, the conch shell. Here, hold it." I did as he asked and gently took it. Wow. This is beautiful! The outside of it has a royal blue complexion while the inside is a scarlet red. It doesn't look like the colors have been painted on, either. It looks natural, which means that Liquiir didn't plant this here earlier. Even if he did, who cares? It's _very_ nice to look at.

 **Lord Beerus:** "It looks amazing, Liquiir," I told him, not taking my eyes off of this gorgeous carapace.

 **Lord Liquiir:** "I thought you'd like it."

 **Lord Beerus:** "Indeed, I do. What do _you_ think of it?" I asked while looking at him.

 **Lord Liquiir:** "It's okay. Conches like this are very common on my homeworld, so it's nothing I haven't seen before."

 **Lord Beerus:** "These are _that_ common that this is just 'okay'? Damn, I have to go sightseeing on your home planet sometime. I can only imagine the natural treasures there."

 **Lord Liquiir:** "Yeah, someday. I'll even be your personal tour guide." He suddenly looked out into the ocean and just as quickly looked back at me. Was there something out there? A fish that caught his interest? "Hey, you know what they say about conch shells, don't you? If you put your ear up to it, you'll hear the ocean." I looked at him quizzically.

 **Lord Beerus:** "I don't know if you are aware of this, but we're right next to the ocean. If you're unsure of what that means, it means that we'll definitely hear it."

 **Lord Liquiir:** "Just try it," he insisted. I sighed.

 **Lord Beerus:** "If you scream in my ear, I'm leaving. And I'll also throw this shell in your face." I lifted the husk to my right ear. Listening very carefully, I can hear...the ocean. How shocking. Who could have possibly guessed that-whoa, what the fuck?! I just heard a loud, powerful roar! A roar mightier than anything I've ever heard before! If I was a lesser being, I'm certain that I'd be pissing myself. I looked back at the conch. "Do you mind repeating that?" Liquiir chuckled.

 **Lord Liquiir:** "I don't think _he_ minds," he said while pointing his right thumb to the ocean. I looked out into the distance. Oh. So _that's_ what made that roar. About one hundred feet away, there's a very large sea serpent-like creature roaring with part of its body above water. If you were looking at it horizontally, the top half of it is blue and its underside is white. Most likely to blend into its surroundings, as a shark on earth does. It has a somewhat small sail along the length of its back, the webbing being red.

I can also see that the creature has two small arms with claws. Embedded into its elongated head is a large green jewel with three smaller red ones behind it. I think that they're jewels. Its head and neck also look like they're covered and protected by plates, kind of like natural armor. There are even spikes in the neck area and the plates themselves extend a little past the head and lower jaw.

At the back of its lower jaw are two spikes jutting out diagonally and above them, where the hinge would be, are a pair of red webbing, also sticking out diagonally. From the short glimpse I caught of its teeth, they looked surprisingly small. There are a lot and probably razor sharp, but still smaller than I would have assumed for something so big. I can't see what it looks like below the surface, however, I believe that it's at least fifty feet long. Complete with a pair of piercing yellow eyes, it's as intimidating as it is ugly. With a final bellow, it dove back beneath the water.

 **Lord Beerus:** "That explains it. You have a sea monster.

 **Lord Liquiir:** "Yeah. That's a Levia-Dragon Daedalus. You can just call it a 'Daedalus' for short." I looked at Liquiir.

 **Lord Beerus:** "And let me guess, those are also common on your planet?" He looked at me.

 **Lord Liquiir:** "They are _very_ rare on my home planet. The most anyone's ever seen at a single time is two. They may have been mating, we're not sure. Anyway, depending on where you are, those are the unlucky people. If you're out in the middle of the ocean, you're screwed. If you happen to find a Neo-Daedalus, you're super screwed."

 **Lord Beerus:** "A 'Neo-Daedalus'? What's that?"

 **Lord Liquiir:** "Basically, a Neo-Daedalus has much more muscle mass and is much more powerful and destructive. Oh, and it has two heads." Two heads, huh? Double the killing power and double the ugliness. Honestly, I can hardly look at its face. Who wants to stare at something like _that_? Instead, I'm going to look at other areas of nature. I looked down at the sparkling white sand, then out into the crystal clear water, then up into the blue sky, and finally to my right at the lush green jungle. How have I not noticed it before?

 **Lord Beerus:** "You've really modeled this place to be like Vulpesia, haven't you?" I looked back at the Kitsunian. I know that the buildings were created with Vulapesia in mind, but until now, it has never occurred to me that _everything_ was made in its honor.

 **Lord Liquiir:** "I have. Everything on this planet, from the layout to the land and the various bodies of water, to even the thriving wildlife, can all be found on my homeworld. At least, on a small scale." That's...kind of incredible. He really hasn't forgotten about his past. I haven't either, but he still embraces it so much. It's nice.

 **Lord Beerus:** "Hey, Liquiir, do you think you could show me around? I'd like to explore that jungle over there." He warmly smiled and placed his right paw on my left shoulder.

 **Lord Liquiir:** "I'd love to. In fact, I know this amazing spot where we both can really enjoy ourselves. Sound good?" I returned the smile and nodded.

 **Lord Beerus:** "Yeah. So, where did you have in mind?" He took his paw back and chuckled.

 **Lord Liquiir:** "You'll see soon," he assured me excitedly.

* * *

I think that the word "soon" must mean something different in the Kitsunian language. We've been walking - _walking_! - for the past twenty minutes. I know I told him that I wanted to explore the jungle, but I assumed that we would be flying. It's fine, though, because we wouldn't have been able to see as many of the plants and animals. Or "Flora and fauna," if you want to be a showoff.

One cluster of plants we found are still used in certain ceremonies. He didn't specify what they're used for, but nevertheless, they are extremely important in his culture and the practices can't be done without them. They are about four to five inches in height and they come in a variety of colors, such as red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and violet. The colors of a rainbow. Good and wholesome ROYGBIV.

They look like a mix between...between...what are those flowers, again? I haven't seen them in an exceedingly long time. Tulips? Yes, tulips. And I think roses. They look like tulips cross-pollinated with roses. They are called sur...sur...okay. My hangover is gone, but I can't even remember how to pronounce the damn name! It's a long one. Even if you were to look at it in written form, you'd be thinking "Huh? How the fuck do I say this?" I can only imagine the difficult time everyone would give me. "Aw, it's such a _big_ word for _wittle_ Beerus! I'm an adult, so I can say it just fine. Surrexulipa." Oh, wait, that's the word! How about that? I guess a little self-deprecation helped me here. I better not make a habit of it.

 **Lord Liquiir:** "We're almost there," he suddenly announced. He then pointed ahead of us with his right arm and index finger. "Just beyond that thicket is the place I want to show you."

 **Lord Beerus:** "Very well. Let's see if it's worth the twenty minutes we wasted walking when we could have flown here in a second or if I need to smack you," I said half-jokingly, half-seriously.

 **Lord Liquiir:** "Don't worry about it! I promise that you'll love it!" I sure hope so. He told me that we'd both enjoy ourselves, and I'm trusting that's true. I did like the conch, which I decided to take with me. No pun intended, but this thicket really is thick. Easily the densest bushes I've ever come across. Okay...Liquiir just covered my eyes with his right paw. We're right here. What's the point?

 **Lord Beerus:** "Liquiir, why did you just cover my eyes? All we have to do is move these bushes out of the way."

 **Lord Liquiir:** "I know, but it will make the unveiling that more spectacular!"

 **Lord Beerus:** "So this...overgrowth wouldn't have been able to accomplish that?"

 **Lord Liquiir:** "It feels more personal this way," he reasoned. I sighed with a shrug.

 **Lord Beerus:** "All right, proceed." He's smiling, I know it. He's carefully leading me forward while keeping my eyes in the dark. I'm not feeling any sort of resistance moving ahead. He must be using some energy to move the plants out of the way. And wherever he's taking me, the air is growing hotter and hotter by the second. Is it a volcano?

 **Lord Liquiir:** "Okay, stop. We're here."

 **Lord Beerus:** "Thank you." I placed my right paw over his and prepared to remove it. "Now, then. Let's see what's so special about-" A second before I could regain my sight, the Kitsunian raced behind me and covered each eye with both paws. He laughed cheekily.

 **Lord Liquiir:** "Guess who?"

 **Lord Beerus:** "Are you serious right now?"

 **Lord Liquiir:** "Very serious." That is it! I stomped on the ground a single time out of frustration. I know that this is his day, but _come on_!

 **Lord Beerus:** "I just want to see what's so great about this place already! Let me see it, you cheeky bastard!"

 **Lord Liquiir:** "Okay, okay, I hear you." You could have fooled me. "Here you go. Three...two...one...and here it is!" he enthusiastically exclaimed while removing his paws. Oh. Well, I, um...okay. It looks like he lead me to a hot spring. That explains the increased temperature. Another giveaway that this is a hot spring is that wisps of steam are rising into the air. The ground surrounding the water is raised and encircling it, kind of resembling a crater after a meteor strikes a planet.

As for the actual size, it's larger than my personal bath. It would be big enough for perhaps fifty people of my stature or so. One feature that I think is really nice is that there's a raised fire pit directly in the middle. I can only imagine how amazing this place is in the night time. I think what I like most about it, however, is that the hot spring is surrounded by nature. It's a perfectly secluded oasis of serenity.

 **Lord Beerus:** "I see. This is what you wanted to show me."

 **Lord Liquiir:** "It sure is! Nice, isn't it?" I placed my arms behind my back.

 **Lord Beerus:** "Yes, it's quite impressive. I actually wouldn't mind getting in."

 **Lord Liquiir:** "Who says we can't?" I looked over at him to my right. I furrowed my brows.

 **Lord Beerus:** "Well, no one is, technically. But..."

 **Lord Liquiir:** "But...what?"

 **Lord Beerus:** "But...I didn't bring anything to bathe in." He shrugged.

 **Lord Liquiir:** "So? Neither did I. We can still bathe in our underwear. No one is saying we can't do that, either." That's true. However, I don't know about this. On the surface, this doesn't sound like it's a big deal. It sounds like a normal enough suggestion, but the problem with it is that I'll be in such close proximity to him almost completely naked. We'll _both_ be nearly naked. You could argue that I shouldn't feel weird about it since I've bathed in the same room as Whis, but he's my attendant. That, and he's never been in the bath _with_ me.

What's making me most hesitant is the memory of me...fondling his tails. When I was drunk, it was okay. It was a bonding experience. It really proved how close we are. However, after some sober thinking, I came to the conclusion that being so intimate with him can feel equally as weird as it can feel nice. And also kind of confusing. But...ah, fuck it. Clenching my right paw into a fist, I brought it to my mouth and cleared my throat.

 **Lord Beerus:** "You know what? I could do with a relaxing soak. It sounds like a great idea." He smiled and nodded.

 **Lord Liquiir:** "Yeah, there aren't many things on the relaxation scale that can beat a hot spring. So, it's time to strip." Immediately after saying that, he proceeded to take off the regalia around his neck and the gold bands around his upper arms, his neck, and then his wristlets and anklets. He then looked over at me. "I don't want to rush you, but you are planning on bathing in the hot spring today, right?" he asked while taking off the gold in his ear. Truth be told, to this day I don't entirely understand why our earrings and such are clip-ons. I've been assuming that it's because they're much easier to take off that way. That or the first gods who sported earrings were afraid of getting them pierced.

 **Lord Beerus:** "Yes, I am." He breathed an exaggerated sigh of relief.

 **Lord Liquiir:** "Whew! I was getting worried that I wouldn't see your bare legs." I rolled my eyes and began taking off my attire.

 **Lord Beerus:** "Don't worry, smartass, you'll see them. Maybe kicking you," I whispered to myself. He just chuckled in response.

 **Lord Liquiir:** "Great! Speaking of, you can watch it _slowly_ sink into the water." I turned my head to look at him. Sure enough, he's down to his underwear. It's red. No surprise there, it's his favorite color. Any shade, it doesn't matter. If it's red, he loves it. He even really likes blood red, but he avoids referring to it as such out of consideration for the more pathetic-I mean, squeamish of us. Because of that, he usually just opts to call it a very deep red.

He leisurely walked in and gradually sat down, sighing contentedly throughout the duration. The natural seats are a nice feature. It will make this experience even more enjoyable. Without wasting any more time, I moved forward and, once close enough, I lowered myself next to Liquiir. Once seated, I placed my arms on the water's edge. Oh, this was _definitely_ worth the wait. The water is the perfect temperature. It's hot, but certainly not scalding. As an added bonus, despite being made out of solid rock, the seats are surprisingly smooth and comfortable. I closed my eyes and sighed.

 **Lord Beerus:** "Damn, I needed this. Thank you so much, Liquiir. Liquiir?" I looked to my right to find nothing but ripples in the water and the empty space he once occupied. Where did he disappear to? How did he manage to sneak away? How did I not hear him? All of these questions and no answers. And for the first time in my life, my ears have failed me. They're not failing me now because I hear the sound of something breaching the surface diagonally to my left. I wonder who it could be? "Thanks for abandoning me," I called out sarcastically. I don't really care. I just feel like giving him a hard time, even though he won't care about it, either.

 **Lord Liquiir:** "Sorry about that. I felt the urge to submerge," he rhymed. Now he's...stretching? Interesting place to stretch. I would have done it on land, but that's just me. It just shows how complacent he is. How he doesn't have a care in the universe. He's so casual and calm in his movements. The droplets of water are gently cascading down his golden fur. Heh. It's funny, actually, because I've never seen him drenched before. Right now, his fur's clinging to his body when it's always been floofy. A combination of fluffy and poofy, a term he often uses to describe his fur. It's also soft. Very soft.

Yes, it's like a pillow. One could rest their head on him and easily fall asleep. That's one of the best qualities of his. He has a tough look, as a God of Destruction should. Yet, at the same time, he's so huggable...and cuddly. And warm...I honestly wouldn't mind snuggling up with him. Oh, yay, the confusing feelings are coming back with a vengeance.

 **Lord Beerus:** "Ah! What the hell?!" I made a sputtering sound while spitting out the water in my mouth. "Did you just splash me?!" Never mind, those earlier feelings have just been replaced by annoyance!

 **Lord Liquiir:** "Come on, have a little fun! Watch out for the wave!" A bigger splash this time! Well, if you can't beat them, join them. This will be a good distraction from my earlier thoughts of snuggling, after all.

 **Lord Beerus:** "Okay. If this is the game you want to play, then here you go!" I happily reciprocated with an old-fashioned liquid upsurge of my own, striking him in the face. Then he returned it with just as much eagerness. Back and forth our exchanges went. A very simple activity we're engaged in. An activity fit for little kids - we're laughing and smiling like we are - although, letting out your inner child every once in a while can be liberating.

We've all had those long, tough days. Days where we're void of happiness and playfulness. Days where we want a break from being an adult. And then, when we finally embrace that internal youth we all have, let go of our responsibilities and worries, the universe becomes small and safe. _Those_ are the days that make everything worthwhile.

 **Lord Liquiir:** "Beerus, what do you say we get serious?" Serious? What exactly does that entail? Also, how serious can you _really_ be if you're playing with water? Whatever it is, I'm going to find out. "Watch closely. I think you'll like it." He breathed in deeply and closed his eyes. He then held out his arms, palms facing forward, and focused his energy. Ah, okay, he's shaping the water to look like something. He's shaping it to look a Daedalus, but on a small scale. Sure, why not? And even in liquid form, it _still_ looks ugly!

 **Lord Beerus:** "That's actually very nice."

 **Lord Liquiir:** "Right? I think so."

 **Lord Beerus:** "Hold on a second, I'm going to make something-" Ooh! Or, you can flood me with your creation. That works, too. I wiped the water from my face. It had some force behind it, I can say that much. It moved me a few inches back.

 **Lord Liquiir:** "Ha, ha! Never let your guard down!" Is that so? That's the _best_ advice I've ever heard!

 **Lord Beerus:** "Good to know. Now, give _me_ a chance to make something." But what? I'm not exactly the most creative person. I could always make a Levia-Dragon, but that _face_! No, no, I just can't get past it. How about Super Shenron, the vastly superior dragon? Its face is no prize, either, but it's a hell of a lot better than that other creature. I'm so slow when it comes to these kinds of things!

 **Lord Liquiir:** "Having trouble thinking of something? Here." He walked over to me and handed me yet another one of his liquid beasts into my right paw. It's a bird this time. If I recall correctly, it looks like a common cuckoo bird. Literally, no words can describe how appropriate it is that a Kitsunian made one. Well, not _one_. He's made multiple copies of them. Three, to be exact, and he's holding the other two.

And they're so lifelike. They're flapping its wings every now and then. Even preening. I honestly wish I could make something like this. Can they fly? I cupped my paws together and threw them upward. The result...is me splashing Liquiir in the face.

 **Lord Beerus:** "Sorry about that. I thought it could fly." I clapped my paws a single time and held them together. Oh, the other birds are gone. I looked at him and chuckled. "Oops."

 **Lord Liquiir:** "Aw, you made so much noise that the birds liquified." He smiled and chuckled soon afterward. "It's fine. We can always make more. Or, whatever you want to make."

 **Lord Beerus:** "I'll let you think of what to make."

 **Lord Liquiir:** "All right. If that's the case, I want to make...a giant water heart." I stared at him carefully and rubbed the back of my head.

 **Lord Beerus:** "You know what? That's okay. We have to go through a few bad ideas before getting to the good ones." He rolled his eyes and playfully punched my left shoulder.

 **Lord Liquiir:** "Come on, what do you have against full-sized aortic pumps?"

 **Lord Beerus:** "A lot, when you refer to them like that." He crossed his arms and looked at me quizzically.

 **Lord Liquiir:** "Didn't you say it was my day? And didn't you also say that we'd do whatever I want?" I looked down and sighed.

 **Lord Beerus:** "Fuck, I did say that," I muttered. He grabbed me by the wrists and gently tugged on them.

 **Lord Liquiir:** "Is that a yes?" he asked hopefully. I looked up into his eyes. He's pulling on my heartstrings with those damn eyes of his! They're practically pleading...maybe. He's probably only making such a sad face because he knows that I'll relent, but I still don't want to crush his spirit. I looked down once more. Damn it, I can feel my cheeks burning.

 **Lord Beerus:** "Yes, I'll make a...giant water heart with you. Just stop looking at me like that," I requested uncomfortably. Letting go of my wrists, he smiled warmly at me, not at all cheekily like he's apt to do. What do you know, he was genuinely hopeful that I'd agree with his suggestion.

 **Lord Liquiir:** "Sorry for looking at you like that, I couldn't help it." I raised my right paw up as a signal for him to stop his tangent.

 **Lord Beerus:** "No, no, don't worry about it. Let's get to work on that heart." His kind smile widened, which I returned. It's amazing how infectious it is.

 **Lord Liquiir:** "Okay, great! Do you want to make a realistic heart or one of those hearts you see on a card your super cheap relatives get you for your birthday?"

 **Lord Beerus:** "Will you call me cheap if I prefer the latter option?"

 **Lord Liquiir:** "Not at all. To be honest, I think that it's better to make the card heart. It's much less time consuming that way."

 **Lord Beerus:** "Good. We have our answer, then." We shouldn't have to exert _too_ much energy. It's only a heart made of water. A radically simplified version. We raised our paws in unison and commenced our work. He's taking care of the right half while I take care of the left. Oh, yeah, this is _such_ an easy task. The only question is, how big do we want to make it? Not too large, I imagine. Still, I should ask him so that we're on the same page. "Liquiir, how big are we making this thing?"

 **Lord Liquiir:** "I don't know. Maybe ten feet tall and six feet wide? We don't want to use up _all_ of that water." I nodded.

 **Lord Beerus:** "True." With that out of the way, we both proceeded to add the necessary amount. Once we got the measurements just right, we came together and put our individual pieces together. Uh...taken out of context that sounds...interesting. In fact, there's a much better word to describe how that sounded, but I'll pretend that there isn't. Liquiir smiled proudly and crossed his arms.

 **Lord Liquiir:** "I think that it came out well. What do you think?" He turned his head and looked at me. I crossed my arms and smiled alongside him.

 **Lord Beerus:** "I have to agree. It does look nice. Yet, I feel as if it's missing something." He stared attentively at it as one would at a stereogram, those annoying art paintings or whatever that look muddled but secretly have a hidden image _somewhere_ in all of that jumbled mess. He suddenly gasped and pointed at it with his right index finger.

 **Lord Liquiir:** "That's it! It's missing a rainbow!" That's...not at all what I thought was missing. Really, _really_ not at all.

 **Lord Beerus:** "A rainbow?" I asked, unimpressed.

 **Lord Liquiir:** "Yes, a rainbow. You just got to have a little _imagination_ ," he said, slowly drawing out the word while moving his paws either direction in an arc. I'm surprised one didn't form right there.

 **Lord Beerus:** "Look, even if that's what it was missing, how would we make one?"

 **Lord Liquiir:** "It's not that hard. If I remember, the most simple way to put it is that rainbows form by sunlight passing through many droplets of water and water vapor at a certain angle. We have the sun shining right above us. So, all we have to do is make water vapor and eventually, a rainbow will form. I think." I crossed my arms, closed my eyes, and slowly shook my head. Easier said than done. Also, if _I_ remember, he mentioned earlier that we were going to get serious. When is that supposed to happen, exactly? "A quick and easy blast and we'll have our beautiful multicolored arch," the Kitsunian confidently stated. I opened my eyes and looked at the heart. Just above it is a ball of water, roughly three feet tall and three feet wide. He looked at me. "Do you want to do the honors?"

 **Lord Beerus:** "I might as well." Raising my right arm, I opened my paw and focused purple ki into the palm. I fired it and, unsurprisingly, the ball evaporated into...water vapor. "Now, we wait. Oh, nevermind, the rainbow's formed. That was ridiculously fast."

 **Lord Liquiir:** "To be fair," Liquiir started, "we have all of the correct conditions set; we have the mist, we have sunlight passing through it, and we're observing it at just the right direction."

 **Lord Beerus:** "So, what you're saying is if I were to go to the left, or look at it from any other angle, I wouldn't see it?" I moved to the left. Sure enough, the rainbow's disappeared. I then floated above it and moved behind it. Both times, still gone. I moved to my original spot and, not surprisingly, it's back. I turned my body to face Liquiir. "Basic rainbow science at its finest. Thank you very for teaching me."

 **Lord Liquiir:** "It was easy, you're a great student. And you know what? I think you deserve a reward."

 **Lord Beerus:** "A reward, you say? What might that-oh! O...kay?" Evidently, my reward is a friendly, heartfelt hug around my neck. Here's where that velvet soft fur of his comes into play. Huh. Not bad. Not bad at all. I returned it and wrapped my arms around his back. He, in turn, lowered his arms and placed his head on my right shoulder.

He's so relaxed and comfortable. I get the feeling that this is just as much of a reward for him as it is for me. But I don't mind one bit. Wait...wait a second. I'm going to mentally take a step back and think about the situation I currently find myself in. Liquiir and I, both full grown men, are sharing a hug. That isn't a problem on its own. However, we're both down to nothing but our underwear...in front of a giant heart...with a rainbow just overhead.

Again, there's a certain word that perfectly describes everything that's occurring. And that word is growing more and more powerful with each passing second. His grip on me has tightened a little bit and his body is closer to mine - our chests are touching I can feel his heartbeat. It's faster than normal, but then again, so is mine. As for his tails, they're wagging back and forth and he's even purring. It sounds loud and satisfied.

Okay, I can't deny it anymore: this is _incredibly_ gay. But...maybe acting gay...isn't so bad...every once in a while? I carefully ask. I mean, he is really happy. And seeing him like this, especially if I'm the reason behind it, is honestly a great feeling. Besides, this is innocent. We're not gay. We're _very_ close, but not gay. Right? I only like women. Don't I? Damn it, this questioning of myself is confusing me _so_ much in _so_ many different ways!

 **Whis:** "Oh, my! Would you like me to leave you alone, my lord?" Whis! I looked to my right. And Korn! Thank you, thank you! I don't want to deal with these complicated feelings right now! I looked down at the very pleased fox in my arms. I almost _don't_ want to peel him off of me, but that's what must be done.

 **Lord Beerus:** "Hey...do you think you could let go? I believe Whis and Korn want something."

 **Lord Liquiir:** "Oh, sure thing!" He did as I asked and placed his right paw on my left shoulder. "I had a great time. We should do it again at some point in the future." He turned around and walked toward the Angels. "Hello, Korn. Hello, Whis. What do you two want?" While he's questioning our attendants, I'm just standing here with my head down, stupefied. Did he not notice _anything_ weird during our embrace? I-I almost can't believe it! He has such an amiable demeanor that he doesn't think interactions like that are so strange?

 **Lord Beerus:** "That's just it," I very quietly whispered to myself in realization. _I'm_ the one being strange. It really was a friendly hug, nothing else. All right, I should stop overanalyzing everything. It only leads to me feeling awkward. Isn't it funny how walking paw in paw didn't make me feel that weird, but hugging like that did? It was _vastly_ more intimate, that's why.

 **Lord Liquiir:** "Beerus, did you hear any of that?" I picked my head up and looked over at the trio. Liquiir is completely dry and he already has his usual attire back on. It's like he never submerged himself at all, which can only mean that Korn played a role. There's no way you can look so floofy _and_ put on the entirety of your outfit in less than a minute. But that's beside the point.

 **Lord Beerus:** "Um, no, sorry. What's going on?"

 **Whis:** "As wonderful as it was to catch up, we must make our leave soon. Not to worry," he assured with his right hand raised before I could mention anything. "We will, of course, be having lunch together."

 **Lord Beerus:** "That's good, I was starting to get hungry. What are we having?"

* * *

What we all had fifteen minutes ago was a banquet. A feast. After I dried off my body and made myself look decent again, we all eagerly traveled to the main tree. After that, we moved into the dining room. Surprisingly, but at the same time not, on the long, russet-colored wooden table was a huge line of Earth food.

There were trays and plates of turkey, ham, fish, spaghetti and meatballs, another noodle treat called linguine with white clam sauce, and pepperoni pizza. As for the desserts, we had brownies, blueberry and cherry pies, banana split ice cream, and another cake. The spongy part tasted like chocolate while the frosting tasted like something called a coconut. I liked that flavor.

While their naming skills leave something to be desired, their culinary skills are sufficient enough to make up for that shortcoming. More than sufficient. First Universe 6 and now Universe 8. Very soon, _every_ universe will be infected by _some_ kind of food from Earth.

Anyway, we all stuffed our faces. How could we not? Everything was beyond delicious! Not a single scrap was spared. And, as expected, we're all full. The result is Whis and I have to stay a little longer to at least partially digest our food before warping back to our home universe. It's like that old myth that you _must_ wait thirty minutes before going swimming again. I'm sorry, mom. As much I appreciate the concern, it's not true.

Right now, I'm lazing around with Liquiir in his bedroom. On his bed. With him lying down next to me on my left. Since I'm not scrutinizing every minute detail, I don't feel weird. For once. Much of the room itself is colored in varying shades of red, like the carpet, sheets, blankets, and pillows. The walls, however, are simply part of the tree, left completely untouched, save for a moderately sized window on the right to allow sunlight in. The light brown aids to offset all of this red. There are even some bright green vines and yellow, blue, and pink flowers poking through here and there.

Directly to the right of the bed are a small white nightstand and an equally small lamp atop of it. There are also a couple of alcoves, one on each side of his bed. The right one is simply a small, personal library. It has a nice red leather couch at the back, a beautiful chandelier overhead, and four bookcases, two on each side of the couch. The left alcove has a wooden desk, medium-sized and black in color, a wooden chair, a desk lamp, and a high-tech computer.

Not to belittle his home, but it just might be the most sophisticated thing he has. Excluding the Hexahedron, of course. I imagine that his bathroom is modern, so there is that. Even so, this simplicity helps to give that natural feel to it. And I like it. It has a very cozy and pleasant atmosphere like my own home does.

 **Lord Liquiir:** "Amazing. That was all so delicious! But I thought we going to have lunch, not a full course meal," he joked from beside me.

 **Lord Beerus:** "Whis may have gone overboard. He tends to do that." I groaned while stretching my arms and legs. Once I did that, I placed my paws behind my head.

 **Lord Liquiir:** "You know, that was a very nice brug we had, earlier."

 **Lord Beerus:** "Yes, I suppose that wa-whoa, whoa, wait, 'brug'? Is that what you just said?" He nodded."

 **Lord Liquiir:** "That is exactly what I just said. It's a mortal saying, short for bro hug." I sighed and slowly shook my head.

 **Lord Beerus:** "For one, it's not wise to pick up anything from a mortal."

 **Lord Liquiir:** "Oh, don't worry. I knew that you wouldn't like that saying. That's _why I_ said it in the first place. I was just messing with you." I rolled my eyes.

 **Lord Beerus:** "I should have known. Your cheekiness knows no bounds." He happily laughed.

 **Lord Liquiir:** "In your wise words, I _am_ a cheeky bastard. And that's what I always will be." I smiled amusedly.

 **Lord Beerus:** "I believe that. In any case, never call it that again. Ever, or I'll slap you." The mischievous fox laughed again and rolled over onto his side.

 **Lord Liquiir:** "Like this?" He reached over and gave my stomach a light smack, making me flinch a little. He then gave me a second.

 **Lord Beerus:** "Hey, stop. I'm too full for that." Even though I requested him to stop, there was no real command or power behind my voice. I'm too full for that, too. He smiled challengingly and smacked me a third time. "Come on, I can hardly defend myself. Dial back on your playful ways."

 **Lord Liquiir:** "All right. How about this then?" He placed his paw on my stomach and began to rub it.

 **Lord Beerus:** "Oh. That's...a lot better." Again, no overanalyzing, so this is completely fine. I closed my eyes and sighed. I might as well enjoy this affection. Speaking of, I feel like the Kitsunian has been a little more affectionate than usual today. Obviously, it's incredibly nice. I greatly enjoy the endearment. Still, as of now, I can't help but feel slightly uncomfortable with that sort of thing. I wonder how many times I've mentioned how I felt weird, strange, awkward, or uncomfortable today? A million?

 **Lord Liquiir:** "Beerus, can I ask you something?" he suddenly asked while stopping. I opened my eyes and nodded.

 **Lord Beerus:** "Mm-hm. Go ahead." He nodded back and sat straight up. I sat up with him. He looks nervous all of a sudden. "What's wrong? Is it that important?"

 **Lord Liquiir:** "Um...to me, it is," he bashfully said. I moved closer to him, hoping that my mere presence comforts him.

 **Lord Beerus:** "What is it? You can ask me."

 **Lord Liquiir:** "Okay. I was wondering..." He looked at me sincerely, but also with a hint of uncertainty. It must be a sensitive subject to constitute a one hundred and eighty-degree turn from a couple of minutes ago. "Do you think that my voice is annoying or weird?" I looked at him confusedly. That's a random question.

 **Lord Beerus:** "Excuse me? What exactly do you mean by that?"

 **Lord Liquiir:** "My general way of speaking, my tone. I know that some dislike it for one reason or another. Could you perhaps shed some light and inform me what's bothersome about it?"

 **Lord Beerus:** "Your tone?" What fault could anyone possibly find with his tone? It's different, yes, but I don't hear what some people may not like about it. Maybe because it is a little higher pitched than some men's? It's a bit higher than mine, for example, but it's certainly not unbearable. Not like Champa's. I swear, he'll make your ears bleed. He's a like a banshee sometimes.

Of course, having high-pitched voices is common among Kitsunians, including men. He knows this as well as I do. Maybe because it naturally sounds slightly condescending? I know that's not his intention. As I just said, it is a natural part of his voice, but I can still imagine that being a possibility for anyone who doesn't know him.

Regardless of what the reason might be, with how carefree he is, it's surprising that he cares so much. Is it just because it's me? Does he have that high of an opinion of me that even something so uncontrollable warrants asking what I think? If so, he's one of the very few people I know of who trusts my opinions to such an extent.

I sighed and looked at him carefully. He still looks apprehensive. I gave him a warm smile and lightly pressed my middle and index fingers against his throat, surprising him. He tensed up and his eyes widened. Interesting, his pulse has just gotten strangely fast.

 **Lord Liquiir:** "Beerus?"

 **Lord Beerus:** "Don't worry about something like that, Liquiir," I began. "You shouldn't feel ashamed of your vocal cords. Not in the slightest. It's pleasant and it gives a sense a calm to others. At the very least, that's the effect it has on me. Above all else, it sounds dignified and refined. I would go as far to say that I think your voice is perfect." I took my arm back as he started to relax and smile.

 **Lord Liquiir:** "Thank you. I think that your voice is perfect, too." I chuckled.

 **Lord Beerus:** "Thank you and you're welcome. I'm happy to say it." He nodded and slowly but surely moved closer to me. Intimately close, even. His leg is pressing up against mine and his foot is crossing mine at our ankles. Our arms are now hooked around each other's and my paw is also atop of his on my thigh. He's resting his head on my shoulder like earlier, except now I can see his face. He's smiling, his eyes are closed, and he's gently purring.

Wow. He looks so content. He looks so at ease. He looks...so damn cute like this. Did I just describe Liquiir as _cute_? I mean, I'm technically not wrong. I'll admit it, he really is! However, using that word to describe anything is so foreign. Being this emotionally close to anyone is foreign. I've never been good at these kinds of things.

When I was still a mortal, I was much more conservative and shy. At least, when it came to romantic interests. I feel like most beings in the universe are that way at first. When you finally discover that you're interested in dating, it can be so terrifying to open yourself up and show vulnerability. That was especially true for me.

When I found a girl I liked, I was always so scared. So many conversations went like this: "Hi, how are you doing? I-no, nevermind, that's stupid. My name is B-B...did I forget?! What is it?! Beerus! It's Beerus! I'd like to, uh, you know, um...I...wow, is it hot in here or is it just me?! I-I-I loved talking to you! We should do it again sometime, bye!" Being a young teenager can be so hard.

My horrible experiences in that area turned me off, for the most part, to the idea of ever even _trying_ to become romantically involved with someone. It's that same way of thinking why the times I did have sex, it never meant anything. Even when I was a mortal, I wasn't interested in getting close to someone. I was fully prepared, fully content, with remaining a bachelor for the duration of my life.

And here's Liquiir, this amazingly kind, mischievously playful, and damn it, adorably handsome fox, challenging and turning that way of thinking on its head. He's making me feel so confused. Conflicted. Emotions I had only ever felt with a select few people, but so much stronger. It's these emotions I'm not entirely sure I want to feel.

Why am I thinking about all of this? How could I be thinking about all of this? Should I be thinking about all of this? I don't know! I'm so flustered! Just like when I was an adolescent! But it feels worse for some reason! Perhaps because a lot more is at stake? Like-

 **Lord Liquiir:** "Beerus?" The Kitsunian in question raised his head off of my shoulder and looked at me with such concerned and caring eyes I feel like I might drown in them. "What's wrong? You're so tense all of a sudden. You're squeezing my paw kind of hard, too." I looked down. I didn't even notice, I was completely lost in my thoughts. I loosened my grip on him.

 **Lord Beerus:** "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to." He flipped his paw palm up and softly interlocked our fingers together. My breath hitched and my heart skipped a beat. He then reached around with his right arm, placed his paw on the back of my large ears, and proceeded to comfortingly caress them. I, meanwhile, continue to sit still like a statue. I don't know what to do or say. So, for now, I'll let him continue. Everything he's doing is calming and he seems to know what to do in this situation. I'm not surprised. He has impeccable instincts when it comes to soothing someone. Especially me.

 **Lord Liquiir:** "Beerus, whatever's bothering you, it's going to be okay. I'm here for you." I let out a shaky breath.

 **Lord Beerus:** "I know. That's the kind of person you are. But I...I..." He brought his face a little closer to mine, close enough for me to feel his warm breath against me. He's now repeatedly running his paw up the length of my ears, sending shivers down my spine. Him varying the pressure with his firm yet soft fingers make it more pleasurable and perfect.

 **Lord Liquiir:** "It's okay," he softly whispered. "Everything's going to be okay. You don't have to worry. I'll always be here for you." Fuck. Why did you have to say it like that? Please...stop making my heart beat faster with every word and touch. I've been having to suppress a purr, which is _extremely_ difficult! It's like the last barrier I have before I break down and give in. It's been like this nearly the entire time I've been here. I don't know if I'm ready!

Huh? What's that? I looked behind me to find that Liquiir's tails are brushing up against mine. For the most part, he kept them to himself. They would occasionally wag over to me, although they never stayed for too long. But right now, it looks like they're going to coil around my tail like furry, golden snakes.

I looked back into his eyes. Should I let it happen? For me, this is going very far. I really don't know. I'm still a mess when it comes to romance. But maybe...maybe everything will be fine. Maybe this is a risk I should take. Although, if it doesn't work out, my heart will break. Both of ours will. I'll lose the most amazing person I know. We might end up hating each other.

No, I can't do this! I'm too scared! I'm too scared of losing Liquiir forever. We should just remain friends. Before his tails could wrap around mine, I quickly broke free of his caring embrace as though it were a life-threatening attack made by an opponent and jumped off of the bed and onto my feet.

 **Lord Beerus:** "Excuse me. I, um..." I cleared my throat uncomfortably. "I-I think that it's about time f-for me t-to leave," I stuttered. Well, he's now staring at me in a puzzled way. I don't blame him. We had such a tender moment not even a minute ago and I checked out without any warning. It's like I was getting away from him because he had a deadly and contagious disease!

 **Lord Liquiir:** "Oh...I see. Do you really have to leave so suddenly?" Aw, damn it all! He sounds and looks so downcast. Hurt. Betrayed. His ears are flat against his head.

 **Lord Beerus:** "Liquiir, you know that I had to leave at some point. I'm really, _really_ sorry about it, but-"

 **Lord Liquiir:** "Don't worry. Your universe needs you. Just leave." Whoa. The way he said that was uncharacteristically cold. Uncaring. Ah, that's great. He's depressed _and_ angry. And my bright idea to leave right now was supposed to _save_ our relationship? I suck.

 **Lord Beerus:** "Yeah. Yeah, you're right. I'll see you later." I gave a weak wave. He waved just as weakly with an uncaring expression before moving under his blankets. I let out a sad sigh, turned around, and opened the door.

 **Lord Liquiir:** "Lock it behind you," he ordered from beneath the blankets. I did as he commanded and closed it once I was on the other side. Walking down the somewhat long hallway, I slapped my forehead repeatedly. Stupid, stupid, stupid! I should have asked for him to stop! Without a doubt, I need to fix this. I stopped smacking myself, crossed my arms, and groaned. Why do I utterly fail everything I do?

* * *

 **Oh, my! Beerus has made another mistake, this time placing his relationship with Liquiir in jeopardy! We can only hope that he can make everything right again before it's too late.**

 **Now, when it came to thinking of a planet name for Liquiir's homeworld, I wanted it to be obvious, for it to make sense, but I didn't want to call it something like "Kitsunia." That would be too much kitsune! So, I settled for** **Vulpesia. Fox in Latin is Vulpes, so all I had to do was add in the "ia." I think that it sounds a lot better.**

 **As for the name of the flowers that are used in certain ceremonies (what they are used for will be revealed soon), I used the Latin name for rose, s** **urrexerunt, and tulip, tulipa, and combined them to form the mighty s** **urrexulipa!** **The combined name flows well, right? For anyone having trouble pronouncing it, it's sir-rex-ooh-lee-puh.**

 **Finally, a bit of sad news: Stephen Hawking, one of the greatest and most influential modern scientists, died on March 14th, 2018. Along with Dr. Hawking, so many amazing people have passed away over these past few years, such as Hiromi Tsuru, the Japanese voice actress for Bulma, Robin Williams, and Prince, among others. Rest in peace, everyone. You will all be dearly missed.**

 **As always, I hope you all enjoyed!** **Until the next chapter,** **D.F.T.B.A. (Don't Forget To Be Awesome!) Have an awesome day!**


	5. Please, Help Me!

**Please, Help Me!**

 **Hello, how are you all doing? Around two months isn't that bad to get a chapter out (he says cautiously because on the last author's note he said that he had an idea for what this chapter was going to be and it was most likely going to come out sooner than it actually did). Great use of parentheses, huh?**

 **Anyway, I have some awesome news to share with you all and it is that I have a job! It's nothing glamorous. I'm working at a small, family owned catering business. It mostly entails cleaning objects, like coolers and other similar things, washing dishes, and making food.**

 **Even so, the people there are so nice and it's work I know I can do! Although, it may take even longer for chapters to be published. Some days after I work, I just come home and hibernate. But what can you do? Adulting is something you have to do in life.**

 **And all of you, don't worry. *Holds out hands* I got you all. Never fear that this story will become abandoned and forgotten! It might take longer, longer than some of you might like, but I guarantee each and every one of you that I will finish it!**

 **Finally, just as a little warning, this is going to be an extremely emotional chapter. I wasn't expecting it to be quite as emotional as it is, but you suddenly get really into your work and...well, things just snowball from there. Without any further ado, enjoy!**

* * *

It's been one week Earth time since I've last seen Liquiir. I didn't give Whis exact details regarding why we had to leave so suddenly. Although, he did correctly deduce that it was related to a certain fox. As such, in a true mentorly fashion, he advised that I keep my distance from him. It hasn't been easy. All I want to do is apologize to him, but he still might be too upset with me. Conversely, he may have calmed down and he may be wondering where I've been.

It's a delicate situation. On one side, if he's still angry, sad, or both, it might hurt him even more by seeing me. On the other, if he's fine, he might think that I've been avoiding him all of this time because I don't want to see him anymore and that, in turn, will make him angry, sad, or both. Again. It's an undeniable case of catch a twenty-two. No matter what course of action I take, I can't win.

Ah! Damn it all! I'm fucked! I covered my face with my paws and slammed my head against my bed. I slid them down my face, pulling on it a little, and groaned. I then sighed and rolled over onto my right side. In addition to not seeing Liquiir, I haven't been out of my room that much. Only long enough to bathe and go to the bathroom. I never went to the dining room to eat, as Whis personally brought food to me. And new clothes. It would be nice - and actually fairly normal - if I didn't feel like such a terrible person.

 **Lady Heles:** "Beerus! For the love of everything, you open this door right now!" I covered my ears to try and ignore her. Why is Heles even here? And why does she sound so mad? Does she somehow know what's happened? I swear if Whis blabbed again. Ooh! More banging on my door and more echos to assault my eardrums. Even more- "I know you're in there! You can't ignore love forever!" Excuse me? Is she declaring her love for me? Please, please, _please_ , let that not be the case. Uncovering my ears, I quickly sat up and glared daggers into the door.

 **Lord Beerus:** "Okay! I hear you! Stop with all the noise already!" I made my way over to the source of irritation and opened the entrance to my room. She has her arms crossed and she looks equally annoyed.

 **Lady Heles:** "It's about time. Heart breaker." I rolled my eyes and crossed my arms behind my back. I'm doing my best to look as professional as possible. If she was anyone else, I'd kick her out in a heartbeat. However, this is the first time that she's _ever_ visited me and I have a sneaking suspicion that it has to do with Liquiir. I'll act as though I'm ignorant for now.

 **Lord Beerus:** "Heles, what brings you here unannounced and so loudly? Also, what was that about love?" She scoffed.

 **Lady Heles:** "If you don't know that much, you are a moron!" Well, perhaps I should have kicked her out.

 **Lord Beerus:** "I'm trying to be as gracious a host as possible, but you're making it rather difficult. So, tell me. Are you speaking of yourself?" She placed her hands on her hips.

 **Lady Heles:** "Don't be absurd! I'm speaking of poor Liquiir whom you have, without a single thought of the consequences, reduced to a depressed, suicidal wreck!"

 **Lord Beerus:** "Hey, I was just trying to-" Wha-wai-huh?! What she just said almost didn't register to me! "Did...did you just say 'suicidal'? As in, 'He's thinking about killing himself?'"

 **Lady Heles:** "Yes, I did. Well, maybe not now, but I wouldn't be too surprised if we get a message saying-"

 **Lord Beerus:** "What?!" I screamed as I grabbed her shoulders and shook her. "Explain, damn you! What's going on?!" She narrowed her eyes and carefully removed my paws from her shoulders.

 **Lady Heles:** "Tell me, Beerus. Do you know _why_ he's so sad?" I blinked. I wasn't expecting a question to answer my question.

 **Lord Beerus:** "I...think that it's because he wants to maybe...date me. Or something..." I muttered out. She slowly nodded.

 **Lady Heles:** "Put a little more thought into it. You're almost there."

 **Lord Beerus:** "What do you mean? Does he not want to date me?" She closed her eyes and shook her head in a disappointed manner.

 **Lady Heles:** "You really don't know anything, do you?"

 **Lord Beerus:** "What? Am I wrong? Did misread the situation? Please, enlighten me. You _must_ know everything when it comes to affection and love and all of those stupid, annoying, useless-"

 **Lady Heles:** "Watch your tongue! I will not allow you to insult love!" She shouted.

 **Lord Beerus:** "Then tell me what the problem is! Tell me why I'm at risk of losing my best friend!" I shouted right back.

 **Lady Heles:** "The 'problem' is not that Liquiir wants to date you. He wants to be your _life mate_. He wants _you_ and _only you_." With every emphasized word she poked me in the chest to further illustrate her point. I lightly gasped and gulped afterward. That's...that's been a persistent thought in my mind for the better part of my time away from him. The possibility that someone actually _wants_ to be my life mate? It's astonishing to think about.

Without a doubt, Liquiir's an amazing person. Anyone and everyone who knows him can attest to that. Whereas, just about anyone who knows _me_ most likely wouldn't speak very highly of me. I didn't want to admit that may be the case because being that committed to someone...discomforts and worries me. Hearing it from someone else's mouth feels surreal. I also don't feel very worthy, especially now.

 **Lord Beerus:** "So, Heles...how do you know that he feels that way?" I quietly asked. She crossed her arms.

 **Lady Heles:** "While you meant it as an insult, I actually am well versed in love between thousands upon thousands of different species, including Kitsunians. Now then. Kitsunians, by nature, are a loving and loyal species. When they find someone they want to be with, it's only _that_ person. No one else will _ever_ come after. Even if their life mate dies, they won't ever look for another. Also, do you remember how he told you that tails are beyond important in his culture?"

 **Lord Beerus:** "Yes?"

 **Lady Heles:** "You may be interested to know that, in addition to everything else he told you, tails are also equally important in Kitsunian love. When he allowed you to caress them, even while inebriated, that's as good as him declaring his undying love for you." My eyes widened.

 **Lord Beerus:** "His...his 'undying love'?"

 **Lady Heles:** "Yes, undying love. Only people Kitsunians wholeheartedly trust and feel close to are permitted to touch their tails. Since they are so young and pure, kits also have that privilege, but you are clearly no kit. You're an imbecilic adult and when you last visited Liquiir a week ago, you performed one of the _worst_ acts possible!" I gulped nervously.

 **Lord Beerus:** "And...what would that be?"

 **Lady Heles:** "When you two were cuddling with each other, his tails were about to wrap around yours, but you jumped away mere moments before he could even begin his courtship ritual." I moved my arms from behind my back and folded them across my chest tightly as if I'm giving myself a hug to make myself feel better about hearing all of this information.

 **Lord Beerus:** "His 'courtship ritual'? Did I...did I hear you correctly?" She slowly nodded.

 **Lady Heles:** "Indeed, you did. That is their courtship ritual. It's been that way since the very first generation. Once it's done, however, it does not necessarily mean that you're officially life mates. A ceremony has to be held."

 **Lord Beerus:** "A courtship ritual _and_ a ceremony?"

 **Lady Heles:** "For all intents and purposes, Kitsunians only have one chance at love. Ergo, it's no wonder why they're so careful and cautious when choosing a partner. Now, continuing with what I was saying before, once the ceremony is completed, you are life mates and nothing can ever change that fact. However, since you left, that's rejection in their culture. You might as well have used destructive energy to obliterate his heart." Moving my right paw under my regalia, I placed it directly over my heart. Very harsh choice of words, but she got her point across loud and clear. "And, unfortunately, the unlucky recipient of that rejection becomes so depressed that, more often than not, they die of a broken heart or kill themselves." Fuck me! How could this _possibly_ get any worse?!

 **Lord Beerus:** "I-I can't believe...he's always been so carefree and...flippant."

 **Lady Heles:** "You have to keep in mind that, as mischievous and naturally optimistic as they are, they are still quite emotionally sensitive creatures. Not fragile, mind you. However, as sad as it is, it's not at all uncommon for them to be completely consumed by their negative emotions and pass away as a result. Naturally or...otherwise. Don't be surprised if we get a message saying that he's moved on from this life."

 **Lord Beerus:** "Then I must see him! I must remedy this situation!" I moved past Heles, literally pushing her out of the way. Before I got too far, however, she appeared back in front of me and placed her right hand on my chest to keep me from moving.

 **Lady Heles:** "I'm afraid that's not wise, Beerus," she warned.

 **Lord Beerus:** "What? Why?" She took her arm down and crossed them again.

 **Lady Heles:** "Once rejected, not only are Kitsunians depressed, they tend to be _very_ aggressive. Especially toward the one who broke their heart."

 **Lord Beerus:** "How aggressive?"

 **Lady Heles:** "Sometimes lethally so." I narrowed my eyes.

 **Lord Beerus:** "'Lethally'? Are you saying that if I see him, he may kill me?"

 **Lady Heles:** "It's a possibility that shouldn't be ruled out." I growled in frustration and threw my paws up in the air.

 **Lord Beerus:** "Then what the hell am I supposed to do?! From what you're saying, it sounds like there's no hope of helping him!" She didn't answer. Instead, she looked away to the right.

 **Lady Heles:** "I'm sorry. I truly don't wish to be the bearer of bad news." I shook my head repeatedly.

 **Lord Beerus:** "No! No, no, no! I _refuse_ to believe that I'm powerless to help him!" She looked back at me in an understanding way.

 **Lady Heles:** "I know. Still, that's the way it is sometimes, Beerus. If I thought there was a reliable solution where everyone's happy again, I'd tell you. But...I honestly don't think there is."

 **Lord Beerus:** "Maybe _you_ can't. But there has to be _someone_ who can help." I sighed angrily and walked past her once more. "I'm going to find a solution without you since you've obviously given up on Liquiir. When I come back, I want you gone," I ordered without stopping. At the moment, the only place I can think of that might have an answer is Earth. "Whis! Whis! Whis?" I stopped in the middle of the spacious corridor and placed my paws on my hips. Where is he? Is he ignoring me? "Whis, I know you're not deaf! Where are you?!" He appeared on my right. Finally.

 **Whis:** "Forgive me, my lord. I was speaking to Sour. What do you require?" Groaning, I turned to face him and looked up.

 **Lord Beerus:** "I'm going to Earth and I need you to tell Bulma that her assistance is needed on a matter of utmost importance." He nodded respectfully.

 **Whis:** "Very well. Am I to assume that my presence will not be needed?"

 **Lord Beerus:** "Indeed. I would prefer to be alone for this."

 **Whis:** "Of course. Before you take your leave, would you like to hear _my_ thoughts?"

 **Lord Beerus:** "Let me guess what they are. You're going to tell me something along the lines of 'You should not concern yourself with Liquiir's wellbeing. It's not relevant to you whatsoever. The emotions you are feeling are reserved for mortals and not befitting of a God of Destruction. With that being said, you should simply keep to yourself and resume your duties as a Destroyer.' Is that about right?" He's smiling much too nonchalantly right now. Bastard.

 **Whis:** "Very good, Lord Beerus! It appears that you've found the answer all on your own. I'm very proud of you." Whis...how dare he! It truly sickens me how little Angels care about other beings. I understand their roles are to train and teach literal destroyers of entire worlds and more but come on! Well, maybe not the Angels whose universes are a part of the top four in regards to their mortal level. And maybe not Cus.

It's strange. While she appears the youngest between _all_ of her siblings, she is, in fact, the oldest. And yet, she has a noticeably more caring nature. Perhaps she was raised differently? Or perhaps it's her own special blend of insight she's developed through the years, completely independent from the others? It's better than Whis', that's for _damn certain_!

 **Lord Beerus:** "Abandoning Liquiir is _not_ the answer!" I said through clenched teeth.

 **Whis:** "Agree to disagree." You...you...

 **Lord Beerus:** "Whis, you..." I sighed deeply. "Just call Bulma. And I don't want to hear another word from you!" Immediately afterward, I started walking away from my infuriating and seemingly heartless attendant so as to prevent myself from exploding with anger. Honestly, what in the fuck is wrong with everyone? Damn it. Well, whatever. They're not who I should be focusing on. Not at all. Now, maybe, hopefully, the Earthlings can be of _some_ use to me.

* * *

I'm glad that Bulma was told about me coming to see her ahead of time. She can prepare to help me more easily this way. We're sitting on the couch in the living room where I drunkenly played with Liquiir's tails. Out of _all_ of them, it's the main living room, apparently. Not that you could ever tell. Wait, have I complained about how many she has before? I feel like I have. Okay, I'm getting sidetracked.

Anyway, it's not only us two. Videl, Gohan, and even their daughter, Pan, are with us. Videl is sitting on my right, Gohan is on _her_ right, Pan is sitting in his lap, and Bulma is on my left. She informed me that she believed multiple perspectives would be best in helping whatever my problem is. With Pan being only over a year old, she's too young for that of course.

 **Lord Beerus:** "Thank you for agreeing to see me, everyone."

 **Bulma:** "No problem. So, what's going on? I can only imagine how important this is if you're seeking _our_ support. Although, I wonder why you didn't ask for Vegeta and Goku to be here, too." Sighing, I rolled my eyes and shook my head.

 **Lord Beerus:** "Those two would be as helpful as an ice pack in a blizzard. You see, the reason I'm here is that...because..."

 **Videl:** "Is it hard for you to talk about?" I looked to my right.

 **Lord Beerus:** "Yes, Queen." I blinked several times in confusion. Meanwhile, Videl looks mildly amused. "Why did I just call you that?"

 **Gohan:** "When you were at the party several days ago, you got drunk and called Videl and me king and queen."

 **Lord Beerus:** "Oh, you have to be kidding," I groaned out loud while putting my weary head down and resting my right paw on my forehead. "Damn it all."

 **Gohan:** "Lord Beerus, language. Remember, Pan's here and she's beginning to repeat words." I looked up toward the young human in question. He's covering her ears.

 **Lord Beerus:** "I'm sorry, I'm just having a bad day. A horrible day. Probably the worst." He removed his hands and wrapped his arms around her.

 **Gohan:** "It's okay. But tell us, what's going on?"

 **Lord Beerus:** "Okay, fine. Do you all remember Liquiir?"

 **Bulma:** "I know _I_ do, he's the best! He's easily one of the friendliest people I've ever met," she said fondly with a smile. It slowly faded away, however. "What's going on with him?"

 **Lord Beerus:** "Well, he...as it turns out, he..." Come on, Beerus, just spit it out already. "Ahem, excuse me! But, do you all want to know what I just realized?" I said hastily. "17 wasn't at the party. He might have been, I was so drunk that the party's mostly a blur to me. Even so, I'm almost certain that he wasn't. Why?"

 **Bulma:** "Lord Beerus, you're stalling." Mortals love to point out the obvious, don't they?

 **Lord Beerus:** "Obviously. Do you really think I'm not aware of that? Still, there is a grain of truth. I genuinely want to know where 17 was. You two weren't there to see him, but he helped immensely in the tournament. He was also the one who wished for all seven of the erased universes to be resurrected if you two didn't already know. What _I_ want to know, is where he is. Tell me that, and I'll gladly tell you what's going on with Liquiir."

 **Gohan:** "Don't you remember, Lord Beerus?" Gohan said, prompting me to turn my head to face him. "He said that his intended wish was to travel around the world with his family by cruise. He still got that wish, even without the use of the Super Dragon Balls. He has Bulma to thank for that." I looked over at her, to which she shrugged and gave a...I want to say a modest smile. I looked back at the young Saiyan. "They're all taking a long and well-deserved vacation," he finished. I turned my head to face forward.

 **Lord Beerus:** "Yes, that's right." How could I have forgotten? He annoyed Belmod with his nautical wish and his nonchalant attitude. "Good for him. Now that we have that out of the way, the thing that's going on with Liquiir is..." Closing my eyes, I inhaled and exhaled deeply. "He wants to be my life mate and I accidentally rejected him," I revealed hesitantly. I then opened my eyes and looked around to find everyone staring at me blankly. It appears none of them were expecting me to say _that_ of all things. Why would they? Of the plethora of topics they might speak about on any given day, I highly doubt that _my_ personal life is one of them.

 **Gohan:** "He wants to be your life mate and you rejected him?" Gohan asked in clear astonishment.

 **Lord Beerus:** "I...yes. I should also tell you all that it's recently been brought to my attention that he didn't take the rejection well. He's depressed and most likely..." I cleared my throat nervously. "S-suicidal," I whispered. "Not only that, but there's also a significant chance that he's extremely mad at me. So mad that, if I were to see him and try to talk to him, he'd want to kill me. And so...I don't know what to do. I don't know how to help him. Help _me_ to help _him_. _Please_." Still nothing but silence. Even Pan is completely quiet. Come on, give me something, people! Anything!

 **Videl:** "Wow," Videl suddenly sighed out, seemingly hearing my silent plea for a voice to speak. "That's a lot to take in. Well, what I think you should-"

 **Bulma:** "How?!" Bulma cut in loudly. "How could you do something so stupid and mean?!" Ah! Damn it, she's hitting me repeatedly on my arm! It doesn't hurt, but it's still annoying!

 **Lord Beerus:** "Hey, stop that!" I raised my arm to block some of her hits. "Stop hitting me! It wasn't on purpose, it was an accident!" She stopped punching me, huffed angrily, and looked at me like I'm crazy.

 **Bulma:** "How do you reject someone by accident?"

 **Lord Beerus:** "We were cuddling and I jumped away. Really quickly." They don't need to know about his courtship ritual going awry. "Look, it wasn't meant to be taken as a rejection, okay? It was supposed to convey that I needed space and some time to think."

 **Bulma:** "Then maybe you should have told him 'Hey, this isn't a rejection, I just need to be by myself for a while.' Would that have been so hard?"

 **Lord Beerus:** "A lot was going on in my mind already!" I groaned agitatedly and tiredly. "Yes, I know that's what I should have done. Hindsight's 20/20. But, at the time, I just wanted to leave before things went too far." She rolled her eyes.

 **Bulma:** "You still should have said _something_." She stood up. "I'm going to get some water. Be right back." Once she left my range of vision, I banged my head against the back of the couch with a single loud thud.

 **Lord Beerus:** "What were you saying, Videl?" I asked while looking over at her. "What do you think I should do?"

 **Videl:** "I was saying that I think that if _you_ can't speak to him, maybe you could get someone else to go in your place."

 **Lord Beerus:** "Eh." Wow, great response, me. My expression matches the sound I just made.

 **Videl:** "You don't think it's a good idea?"

 **Lord Beerus:** "Honestly? Not really. Sure, I _could_ do that, but he'd probably turn them away. And that's assuming he's accepting visitors at all. Not only that but how would it sound if I, someone he might want to kill on sight, sent someone on my behalf? I imagine that he might want to kick _their_ ass, too." She hummed in agreement.

 **Videl:** "That's true. If I was in his position, I'd honestly feel the same way."

 **Lord Beerus:** "My point exactly. Gohan, you're educated. You like books. You actually _know_ what a book is. You're not punch happy like some people. Do you have any suggestions?" He chuckled nervously and slowly nodded.

 **Gohan:** "Uh, maybe. I know you already said that you don't think it's a good idea, but I want to go off of what Videl said."

 **Lord Beerus:** "Fine, proceed. Let's hear it." I crossed my arms, as well as my right leg over my left. My head is still resting upon the back of the couch.

 **Gohan:** "Well, I can only think of two things to do." Oh, sure, _only_ he says. That's two more possibilities than I can think of. "The first thought I have is that maybe you can visit his planet and talk to an expert on this situation and see what they think." Huh. I didn't think about that. That actually makes a lot of sense and it could work. _Could_.

 **Lord Beerus:** "Not bad. What's the second?"

 **Gohan:** "You can attempt to track down his parents in Heaven and ask them to talk to him for you. I'm sure he'll listen to his mom and dad of all people." I see...perhaps. Two courses of action that actually have a shot at working. He is _definitely_ not Goku when it comes to the brains department. He has some.

 **Lord Beerus:** "Those aren't bad at all. I'll think about them."

 **Bulma:** "I'm sorry it took so long for me to get back to you guys." Bulma suddenly began beside me. I turned my head as she sat down with a bottle of water in her right hand. "I got a call and I couldn't ignore it." She took a few sips of her water before setting it down on a small glass table in front of us. "So, are we any closer to helping the moronic Destroyer of Hearts?"

 **Lord Beerus:** "I didn't mean to..." I sighed. "Stupid is as stupid does," I said in a defeated voice. I've already accepted that I fucked up.

 **Videl:** "We came up with a couple of plans that might work. Neither of them is a guarantee, though."

 **Bulma:** "What were they?" I finally raised my head and sat up straight.

 **Lord Beerus:** "We think that since I'm unable to speak with Liquiir myself, I could visit his planet and talk to an expert about this subject and get their opinion. Either that or I could find his parents and ask _them_ to talk to him for me."

 **Bulma:** "Oh. Was that not as obvious to you three as it was to me? I thought of those ideas almost immediately after you explained your situation."

 **Lord Beerus:** "And yet, you chose to hit me," I argued.

 **Bulma:** "And yet, you deserved it," she countered matter-of-factly. I shrugged.

 **Lord Beerus:** "Can't argue with that. In any case, while helpful and certainly in the realm of possibility, I still have to think about them." I leaned slightly forward past Videl to see Pan, smiling without a care in the world. "Tell me, is your daughter speaking yet?"

 **Gohan:** "Not full on sentences, but she does know individual words. Why, do you want her input?"

 **Lord Beerus:** "It couldn't hurt. I'll take advice from anyone. Who knows, she may hold the answer I seek." Gohan softly smiled and gently turned her around to face him.

 **Gohan:** "Hey, Pan, what do _you_ think Lord Beerus should do? How can he fix his relationship with Liquiir?" He made sure to draw out each word carefully. I don't believe that she can understand him, but she'll at the very least pick up a couple of words that way. I think? Right now, she's just staring up at him with a slightly confused face.

 **Lord Beerus:** "Come on, don't be shy," I urged her on. "Any advice at all is appreciated. Say whatever comes to your mind." She turned her head to look at me. And blink at me. "Nothing? Nothing at all?" Nothing but a baby girl's giggle. "Well, on that note, I think I'll take my leave." I stood up and stretched my arms above my head. "Thank you for your assistance. Hopefully, I'll be able to resolve this in a way that benefits everybody." Videl and Bulma stood up beside me.

 **Bulma:** "Good luck, Lord Beerus."

 **Videl:** "Remember, we're all here for you." If there's one thing I have, it's the emotional support of mortals. However, I'm not entirely sure if I want it. It feels like pity.

 **Gohan:** "I'd get up with you, but my hands are full at the moment." He looked down at the young human. "Hey, Pan, wish Lord Beerus 'Good luck.'"

 **Pan:** "Ha, ha! Kiss!" Gohan lightly gasped.

 **Gohan:** "Not exactly what I said, but that works. You're so smart!" he praised.

 **Lord Beerus:** "But wait, kiss what?" I crossed my arms. "My ass goodbye?" Videl covered her mouth to try and stifle her laughter.

 **Videl:** "Don't say that in front of her."

 **Lord Beerus:** "Why not? I might as well at this point."

 **Pan:** "Kiss! Liquiir!" We all turned our heads to look at her. I definitely wasn't expecting that of all things.

 **Bulma:** "Wow. Don't kids say the darndest things?" I nodded.

 **Lord Beerus:** "Yeah. And you know, kid, I feel like kissing my ass goodbye would still be the easier option. Thanks for the suggestion, though."

 **Videl:** "It's still impressive that she picked up his name. She really is so smart." Bulma chuckled.

 **Bulma:** "She might be the world's next greatest scientist in the making. I'll have so much to teach this little genius!" I narrowed my eyes slightly and looked between all of the adults. Does the I.Q. of everyone except for me go down by about sixty points when a baby is involved? Whatever, I don't care. I just want to leave before I have to listen to any more of this.

 **Lord Beerus:** "Okay, as I said, I'm going to take my leave. Assuming Heles doesn't nag me to death about whatever decision I end up making, you'll be the first ones to know if and how I fixed everything. Goodbye." Once everyone said their goodbyes to me, I went on my way to my Hexahedron. I'm going to take my time walking so that I have a chance to really think about what Gohan said. First, talking to an expert. Would that be wise? Would they be of any more help than Heles?

She did proclaim herself as an expert, herself. Being so annoyingly obsessed with love, there might be validity in her claim. Besides, what guarantee do I have that a more official expert would agree to see me? I assume that Liquiir's involved with his own people a fair amount, so they may already be aware of his situation. If they know that I'm the one who placed him in such a state...something tells me I won't get such a warm welcome, no matter how good my intentions are.

Fuck! Seeing his people would only exacerbate the situation, I imagine. Well, what about his parents? Oh, yeah, I'm sure his mommy and daddy would _love_ to speak to the man who obliterated their son's heart. Ah, I was so stupid to allow my hopes to rise! Still, there's always a small chance I could always be overreacting and I might actually acquire some cooperation.

Considering he's so beloved within his universe, the odds aren't exactly in my favor now, are they? No, I highly doubt they are. In fact, I'm certain that anyone and everyone who's aware of his condition would want to kick my ass on sight. I know _I_ would and that's why I really don't want to see my reflection because I know that the image greeting back would be the biggest asshole in the multiverse.

Stopping in a random hallway, I lowly growled and looked to my right. Damn it all! Coming here was completely pointless! Clenching my right paw into a tight first, I didn't hesitate to effortlessly punch a hole through a nearby wall. I _hate_ feeling so fucking helpless! I angrily pulled my fist back and quickly crossed my arms before I become tempted to do even more damage with my fists.

Now, is there anyone else who might be of aid? Maybe Shin? No, on second thought, I don't want to talk to him about this. For one, what would he know? He's a young, ignorant fool who almost got himself killed! Two, he's technically not even another man. His kind is genderless! Despite the fact that a lot of them are capable of showing interest in others, like a certain lecherous old man, that's all the more reason why Shin would be useless.

Finally, it was difficult enough to speak to Videl and the others and, unfortunately, the number of people that may be willing to help me in any way, shape, or form, are severely limited. It irritates me to no end! Using my right foot, I kicked another hole into the wall. The wall is innocent, but I need an outlet for my anger that doesn't involve obliterating the entire planet. Even so, maybe I should have crossed my legs in addition to my arms.

 **Gohan:** "That's what the banging noises are. So, does that mean you gave my ideas some thought and you decided that they're terrible after all?" Without turning to look behind myself and at Gohan, I scoffed.

 **Lord Beerus:** "What do you think? There's _no way_ in Hell that anyone related to Liquiir is going to help me, even if it's to help _him_. And now, I don't know who else I can turn to." He walked up to me until he reached my right side.

 **Gohan:** "Well, you do have your brother, right?" I looked over at him.

 **Lord Beerus:** "Ha! Please, like that fat ass would help me."

 **Gohan:** "You never know, Lord Beerus. You're still family and you're brothers. That's a special bond to share with someone. Whenever Goten, my brother, has trouble with something, he almost always comes to me first. I'm sure that if Lord Champa saw your sincerity with how much you want to help Liquiir, he'd be happy to help you out." Gohan certainly has a way with words, doesn't he? And his mere presence...it's somehow giving me another tiny sliver of hope. Like his father, he practically radiates it. That's very much appreciated at a time like this. I looked to my front and nodded.

 **Lord Beerus:** "Very well, you convinced me. I'll talk to him, see what he says about the situation." Out of the corner of my eye, I can see him smiling.

 **Gohan:** "That's the spirit! Good luck."

 **Lord Beerus:** "Yes, well, before you do that, tell me one thing."

 **Gohan:** "What's that?" I looked back at him seriously.

 **Lord Beerus:** "Where's the exit to this maze of a building? I don't spend much time inside and my mind was numb and hazy when I stumbled my way through here before. If I wasn't capable of sensing energy, I never would have found the room you and everyone else was in." He lightly chuckled.

 **Gohan:** "That's easy. From here, you go straight, take a left, go straight again, take a right, continue going straight, and after taking another right you'll reach the exit in a few steps." I nodded.

 **Lord Beerus:** "Thank you. Goodbye. Again."

 **Gohan:** "Goodbye. Again." Saying nothing more, he turned around and began walking away. That's strange...some invisible force is making me stare after him curiously. I wonder...

 **Lord Beerus:** "Hey, Gohan!" I called after him on impulse before he could round the corner. He stopped and looked back at me.

 **Gohan:** "Yes, what is it?"

 **Lord Beerus:** "When everything is finished and all is said and done, I want you to visit my world." His eyes widened into a state of confusion.

 **Gohan:** "Y-your world? Why?"

 **Lord Beerus:** "Did I stutter?" I asked rhetorically. I then pointed at him. "Don't question your God of Destruction. At some point in the future, I'll call you to visit my temple. When that day comes, I expect you to be there as soon as possible. Am I clear?"

 **Gohan:** "Yes, Lord Beerus. I'll be there and I'll be ready." I smiled a little at his answer.

 **Lord Beerus:** "Good. See to it that you hold up your promise." I waved him away. "That's all, you may leave."

 **Gohan:** "Okay," he replied hesitantly. Nodding, still looking slightly confused, he turned the corner and left. I placed my arms behind my back and began to follow his directions. He's a good kid. He's also good company, which is partly why I invited him to my world. Unfortunately, Champa is almost never pleasant to be around. I imagine that this visit will be the exception, due to my terrible predicament. I'm not going to expect any miracles, though. All I ask is that he's not that big of an asshole about this.

* * *

Once I navigated through the labyrinth that is Bulma's not so humble abode, I arrived at my brother's temple. Unannounced, of course. Who announces their presence, nowadays? There's always the chance that he's sensed me by now, but most of the time he's too lazy even for that.

I decided that it was best to enter from one of the side entrances on the right. It's more inconspicuous this way and I'd rather not have people be aware of the fact that I actually searched for Champa and his council. Continuing on with the inconspicuous route, I simply opened the door without knocking - it's wider than the average door, I might add - and went inside.

 **Vados:** "Well, would you look at that. You did stop by, Lord Beerus." Oh, wow, Vados was expecting me. Shocking. I turned around to see her closing the door behind me.

 **Lord Beerus:** "You were expecting me?" Once she finished closing the door, she turned to face me and nodded with that _damn_ smile her brother always has.

 **Vados:** "Indeed. Whis informed me that you were visiting those you are familiar with in hopes of gaining some sort of insight to aid you. With your unfortunate predicament with Lord Liquiir, of course."

 **Lord Beerus:** "Yeah, that sounds about right, Whis tells everybody everything," I muttered beneath my breath. "So, does Champa already know the situation?"

 **Vados:** "He does." I sighed and shook my head.

 **Lord Beerus:** "I would have liked to have told him myself, but oh well. Before I speak to him, tell me. Do you think I should forget about Lord Liquiir and go along my own business?"

 **Vados:** "Yes, I do."

 **Lord Beerus:** "Okay, then. We have nothing more to talk about. Goodbye."

 **Vados:** "Good day, Lord Beerus," she respectfully said with a slight bow. I turned around, closed my eyes, and focused on finding my brother. Actually, nevermind. I don't want to waste time. I opened my eyes and turned around. Vados is still standing near the doorway, smiling knowingly. "Vados, where's Champa? I don't feel like searching out his energy at the moment."

 **Vados:** "He's in the dining room, most likely eating to his heart's content like he usually does."

 **Lord Beerus:** "Okay, thank you. _Now_ we have nothing more to talk about. Goodbye."

 **Vados:** "Once again, good day, Lord Beerus." Another bow. Most of the Angels might be disingenuous in one way or another, but they're nothing if not truly respectful. It might be the one redeeming quality to some of them. Okay, enough wasting time! I have to do what I came here for already. I turned away from the attendant and progressed toward my destination. Having visited here several times in the past, I know just about every inch of this place. Needless to say, that goes for the dining hall as well. Just another right turn and...here I am.

And there _he_ is at the end closest to me. There's no food in sight, he's just leaning his head against his right paw. That's good, I suppose. He's not so heartless that he'd eat an entire full-course meal, which would be a buffet for him, even while knowing that Liquiir's life is at risk. As it should be. He deserves as much respect as he gets from everyone and that's a lot. He's everyone's favorite Kitsunian.

 **Lord Beerus:** "Hey," I awkwardly initiated. Talking to my brother is usually something I never look forward to and this is certainly no different. It's even worse. He turned around with a neutral expression and raised up his right paw. It's one of those gestures you do that means you acknowledge someone, but you don't want to give them a friendly wave because you don't feel like they're worth the effort.

 **Lord Champa:** "Hey. Did you have fun punching a hole in Liquiir's chest?" Oh, come on! I keep telling everyone that it was never my intention to reject him. As upsetting as it is to be constantly beat over the head with reminders that I'm a cruel heartbreaker, it's fine at this point. I just want this nightmare to be over.

 **Lord Beerus:** "No, Champa. I can guarantee you that I did not have fun in the slightest. Now, instead of making me feel worse than I already do, could you maybe be helpful for once?" He shrugged.

 **Lord Champa:** "Sure, whatever you want. Take the seat next to me." He gestured to the seat on his left with his head.

 **Lord Beerus:** "Thank you." I sat down beside him and looked at him expectantly. "I know that you know everything that's going on. What advice do you have to give?" Immediately, he pointed at me in an accusatory way.

 **Lord Champa:** "You're a dick!" Okay, we're starting here with the obvious. Perfect.

 **Lord Beerus:** "There's no point telling me things I already know. Besides, you said that you wouldn't make me feel worse."

 **Lord Champa:** "I changed my mind. I _will_ make you feel worse, so you shut up and listen!" As much as I want to punch him, I might as well accept the scolding. I've already been berated twice today, what's a third time? I'm just going to sit here and hold my paws tightly under the marble table like a foolish child who knows they did wrong. "Why are you even wasting your time like this, traveling from place to place, asking for help with love or whatever it is you're trying to do when we both know that you suck at that? Literally, anyone would be better suited for that subject than you!" I flinched slightly. He's right. I know this already. I'm truly terrible when it comes to sensitivity. That's why I'm trying my best to be better. For Liquiir's sake. That's good enough. Isn't it? "Be honest with me. Other than yourself, do you even care about _anyone_?" I looked at him in shock.

 **Lord Beerus:** "Wha-what kind of question is that? Of course, I do." Why would he ask me that? Everyone cares about someone. I'm no different. It's like he's trying to _hurt_ me, not just remind me of my failure and make me feel bad.

 **Lord Champa:** "Do you? Do you _really_? Actually, I have a better question: do you even care about Liquiir?" Why won't he stop throwing that in my face? I'm here...I'm desperate! Does he not realize? Or does that still mean nothing?! Does that not prove how much I _do_ care about him?!

 **Lord Beerus:** "Yes, I do care about him!"

 **Lord Champa:** "Really? Are you sure that you're not taking advantage of his kind heart?" My eyes widened.

 **Lord Beerus:** "What?! I-I-"

 **Lord Champa:** "I've seen you do it before, Beerus! You pretend to be nice. You pretend to be friends with someone. Once you get what you want from them and you're finished with them, you throw them away like trash! You never associate with them ever again! Is that what he is to you? Is he garbage?" I growled lowly. I'm breathing heavier, my right is eye twitching, and body is shaking with barely contained rage. What is this bastard trying to accomplish with this barrage of emotional torment?! I quickly stood up from my chair, knocking it down as a result, and turned my body to face him completely. I'm clenching my paws into such tight fists that my claws are digging into my skin and making my palms bleed. The blood is slowly trickling down my fingers and coalescing on my knuckles before falling down as droplets onto the hard, polished stone floor beneath us.

 **Lord Beerus:** "Why are you saying such ridiculous things?! I don't think of him that way!" He stood up and practically got in my face. I swear, if he says one wrong thing, I _will_ not hesitate to beat him to a bloody pulp!

 **Lord Champa:** "Oh, I forgot! A toy's still good if it's not broken completely, right?! You're nothing but a sadist! You _love_ hurting people! You get off to it, don't you?! And now that you've caused him enough pain, you're fixing him so that one day, the entire process can happen all over again! You'll keep this cycle going for as long as you can until you inevitably become bored of him and cast him aside! You don't deserve to say that you're his best friend! You don't deserve _him_!"

 **Lord Beerus:** "That's it! You fat, worthless fuck!" I screamed while grabbing him by his regalia. I then slammed the back of his head on the stone table, completely shattering a good-sized chunk. Destructive energy is swirling around my body in an intense aura. If I'm not careful and it takes a more solid, tangible form around myself, I could accidentally find myself down a family member through disintegration. Or would it be an accident? Baring my fangs, I then looked at Champa, right into his eyes, undoubtedly giving him the most deadly and pissed off expression anyone could muster. "You don't know _anything_! You don't know a _fucking_ thing!" I sniffled and attempted to get my breathing in check before hyperventilation set in. "When we first became Gods of Destruction, we had no one but each other!"

 **Lord Champa:** "I-"

 **Lord Beerus:** "No! Now _you_ shut up and listen! We were in foreign territory. Our respective Angels were only concerned with training us, so even us having one another was barely true. We eventually grew apart and disdain took its place." My facial expression softened and I allowed Champa back on his feet. I still have a firm grip on him, however. "I was considering quitting because at first, everything was so hard. The training was brutal. I missed our family. Our home. I was so lonely." I gulped and looked away. I don't want to see him looking at me like I'm pathetic.

 **Lord Champa:** "Beerus-" I gave him a stern look. I don't want to hear anything from him right now.

 **Lord Beerus:** "At some point, during one of our summits, Liquiir was the only person who introduced himself who seemed like someone I could get along with...I was more right than I could ever know." My expression softened once more. "He made me feel welcome. Comfortable. Content with my newfound job. He's why I stayed. Any time with him at all was always an amazing time. I always looked forward to our time together. It's something I still treasure." Nothing but silence on my brother's part. What do you say to someone's who's pouring their heart out all over you? He cleared his throat after several more seconds.

 **Lord Champa:** "I-I...wow. T-this really is really serious for you." I looked at him angrily again. Only _now_ he's realizing that?!

 **Lord Beerus:** "Of course it is! Why the fuck would I be here if it wasn't?! Look, Champa. Liquiir is my _best friend_ in this vast, cruel, unfair multiverse!" I took several, shaky breaths. "If I could take his place, I would! I would. I really...really would," I barely choked out. I don't want to cry, but it's getting increasingly difficult. I sniffled and released Champa from my grip. I weakly pushed him away and then I very slowly and carefully picked up my chair before slumping back down. Right now, I'm perfectly content with staring blankly at the damage I made to the table.

After my outburst, I feel defeated. I just want this all to be over. Saving Liquiir from himself is beginning to feel like an insurmountable task. I don't know. I know that I shouldn't give up. I know that I don't _want_ to give up. Even so, will I really be able to do anything in the end?

Suddenly, I heard the chair to my left creak slightly and after that, I felt Champa's paw on my shoulder. I looked from it to his face. He looks worried but also understanding at the same time. Two feelings he rarely shows, least of all to me. It looks likes Gohan was right. My brother is...acting like one. A good one, anyway. It's needed after what he forced me to endure a few moments ago.

 **Lord Champa:** "Beerus, I'm sorry. I can't help you in any way." I blinked a few times. What did he just say? What did he just say?! I aggressively tore off his paw from my shoulder and practically threw it back at him.

 **Lord Beerus:** "What the fuck is that?! I thought that you were about to give me some sage advice, but then you say _that_ shit?! I practically showed you my heart and soul and that's it?!" I angrily stood up once again and began focusing destructive energy into my right palm. "Just for that, I should destroy your temple!" As soon as I finished my sentence, he quickly stood up and tried to force my arm back down to its side.

 **Lord Champa:** "Wait, wait, wait! Hold on! Yes, it's true. _I_ don't know what to do. That's why I said it! I don't want to waste your time and you give you false hope or whatever!" I looked carefully at him. He's being sincere. I deeply inhaled and exhaled before I stopped charging my energy.

 **Lord Beerus:** "Okay," I quietly said through clenched teeth. I still feel somewhat annoyed. "Do you have _anything_ to add that might help?"

 **Lord Champa:** "All I can say is that _I_ can't help you. But, I think we both know who can."

 **Lord Beerus:** "Who?"

 **Lord Champa:** "You know. She's very important to us both, just like how we're important to her?" What? Who is he-oh! I'm so stupid! _Of course_ , she can assist me! I'm _such_ an idiot! I slapped my forehead. Hard. Hard enough to create a loud echo in the room we're in.

 **Lord Beerus:** "You're right! Ah, how can I be so _dumb_ sometimes?! And don't you dare answer that!" I demanded while pointing my right index finger at him. He shrugged and crossed his arms.

 **Lord Champa:** "I wasn't going to say anything." I lowered my arm and folded my arms across my chest.

 **Lord Beerus:** "Good." I awkwardly rubbed the back of my head with my right paw. "Thanks, for...doing what you could. I appreciate it. And I'm sorry for breaking your table. With your head." He shrugged.

 **Lord Champa:** "No problem, you've hit me much harder before. Anyway, yeah. Good luck. I hope that you succeed."

 **Lord Beerus:** "I do, too. And also, I want to know. Why did you say all of those terrible things to me? Did you honestly think that way about me?" He shook his head.

 **Lord Champa:** "No, I wanted to see how you'd react. I'm glad that I got the reaction that I did." I looked down.

 **Lord Beerus:** "I see..."

 **Lord Champa:** "Hey!" I looked up as he placed his right paw on my left shoulder. "With that being said, don't fuck up...or I'll gather every God of Destruction and we'll all take turns kicking your ass." He gulped. "You got that?" he said quietly, almost as if he was saying that last part to convince himself. Much like myself, he doesn't want to think about Liquiir's death and the happenings that may transpire afterward. Understandably, this situation must be having its toll on him as well. I gave him a single nod.

 **Lord Beerus:** "That's fair." At this point, if I do fail, I'd be willing to take as many beatings as need be. No amount would ever right what I did, but it would be a small start.

 **Lord Champa:** "Good." He took his paw back. It's shaking slightly. "See you later."

 **Lord Beerus:** "Yeah. See you later." With nothing more to say, he walked past me and began making his way to wherever it is he's decided to go. For my part, I stood in the same spot quietly and patiently, waiting until the sound of his footsteps faded away into nothingness. I'm sure he's left now. So, with a final sigh, I slowly made my way to the Hexahedron. I know that I should be more urgent in my movements, but as the day goes on, my motivation is dwindling disturbingly fast. Champa's beyond negative and venomous speech certainly didn't help.

That doesn't change the fact that I will do anything for Liquiir! I say that, but I've barely made any progress. At least, I think so. It's my own worthlessness as a so-called best friend and why he can easily do better than me as a life mate. Maybe _I_ should kill myself. Would that bring back some sunshine and rainbows into his dark and stormy mind? I don't know...if _she_ can't help me, and all else fails, I hope _that_ helps him, even if only by a minute amount. I really hate how emotional I've become.

* * *

Of all the people I had met today seeking advice, I'm admittedly shocked that I never visited _her_ first. She easily knows me better than anyone, perhaps even myself, and without a doubt she will be the most help. Above all, I know that I'll feel the most comfortable around her. If she can't aid me in this most _grievous_ of predicaments, no one can.

I nervously knocked on the white door of the yellow house before me. It's been so long since I've talked to her. Even longer since I've _seen_ her. In fact, I haven't seen her in years. It's been so long, I can't even _guess_ how long it's been. Still, I'm looking forward to seeing her after all of this time. The door slowly opened, revealing the person of interest. Her name is Tinara or "Tina" for short. Being my mom, it's no surprise that she's the most wonderful woman I know. To put it simply, if I was ever given the option to have a different mom, would I take it? Fuck no.

She's a couple of inches shorter than me. Not including her ears, she stands at five feet, six inches tall. She typically wears blouses with skirts and boots. Right now she's wearing a dark blue blouse, a dark blue...gored skirt? I think? There are a surprising amount of styles and I can never remember them all. Anyway, it stops just above her knees. As for her boots, they are black leather and they reach up to around the middle of her calves.

Physically, she looks more like me than she does my brother. She's obviously not as well-muscled as I am and she looks decidedly more feminine and lithe. Our tails are also similar in shape and size, except hers is slimmer and slightly shorter. I honestly wish I could say the same for Champa. I don't know what happened there to make it look perpetually bent at the end.

Also, like a certain moronic, pudding hoarding blob, her skin is a bubblegum pink. It honestly pisses me off how one of the people I despise the most shares a trait with a person I deeply care about. No, stop that. I will not allow terrible memories of him to taint the amazing memories I have of her. Now then, the most striking and noticeable feature of my mom is that she has different colored eyes. Her left is golden like mine and Champa's and her right is an icy blue. But, no matter how she's described, she will always be my mom.

 **Tina:** "Yes, who is-" She stopped her sentence short immediately after laying her eyes on me. She gasped and, after flashing me a wide smile, lunged forward and excitedly wrapped her arms around my neck, causing me to stumble back. "Oh, my sweet little Bee! It's been _too_ long since I've last seen you!" she exclaimed ecstatically. Seeing her so jubilant is almost enough to make me forget the emotional pain I've felt today. I smiled and returned the hug. It doesn't matter how old I get. I'll never get tired of being her sweet little Bee. And anyone who dares to make fun of that will get their asses kicked like there's no tomorrow! She suddenly pulled her head back to face me and sniffed. There are a few tears streaming down her face, proof of how elated she is that I'm visiting. "I'm so happy that you're here!"

 **Lord Beerus:** "I'm happy to be here, too." She hummed happily and tightened her grip around my neck. Because she's holding onto it, she's awkwardly hanging above the ground ever so slightly. "To be completely honest, mom, I'm here because I'm in desperate need of advice," I spoke truthfully. She adorned a concerned expression.

 **Tina:** "Why didn't you say something sooner? Please, come in." I nodded and set her down. She gently took my right paw into hers and began leading me into the house. Before we got too far I closed the door. You would think that being the mom to not one, but two Destroyers would mean she's living an afterlife of absolute luxury. However, that's not the case. Her home is small. Humble. It's interior is what one would imagine a suburban house would look like. It's more or less how she lived when she was alive. No, how _we_ lived.

It's funny. For the longest time, Champa and I always dreamed of moving into a larger home. A home that would make people say "Wow. Now _that_ is a house where important people live." But not mom. She always preferred living peacefully and moderately. Living like that would have just made her feel uncomfortable. With her, less is more. And I always got the feeling that the "more" was simply us, her sons. Having a lot of stuff didn't matter to her, so long as we were there. That's why, in addition to the joy she felt, it hurt to see us leave and live our new lives as Gods of Destruction. Just as much as it pained _us_ to leave.

I actually wanted to give her some divine energy to make her a goddess so that she could live as long as us. Of course, Champa wanted to as well. But she always refused, saying that it was never her place. She always claimed that she wasn't nearly important enough to be given such an incredible gift. No matter how many times or how hard we tried to convince her otherwise, she never relented. She wanted to live as a mortal and die as a mortal. Using that phrase when speaking of my mom still bothers me. But, hey, at least she has a halo. A rightfully deserved halo.

 **Lord Beerus:** "So, mom," I started to get my mind off of death...I've had enough of those thoughts already. "How have you been doing lately?" She let go of my paw and, while turning around, looked at me sternly. She shook her head and wagged her right index finger.

 **Tina:** "No, no, none of that. You told me that you desperately needed to speak to me. I will not permit small talk right now." I'm not going to lie, I'm actually glad that she's so strict about this. "Now, please, sit down so that we can talk about whatever's happening." I nodded and sat down on the green linen couch. She sat down on my left and looked at me worriedly. "What's going on, sweetie? It must be a big problem if it's bothering _you_ , a God of Destruction."

 **Lord Beerus:** "It is." I nervously fidgeted in my seat and held my paws together. "Do you remember Lord Liquiir?" I know that I've told her about him and showed what he looks like, but that was a long time ago. Will she even remember?

 **Tina:** "Liquiir? Oh, you mean that adorable fox boy?" Apparently yes.

 **Lord Beerus:** "Yes, the, uh...yes, him. You see..." She leaned forward and placed her right paw on my own, instantly relaxing me.

 **Tina:** "It's okay, you can tell me." She leaned a little closer and gave me a concerned look. "Did you two break up?" I blinked several times and took my paw back.

 **Lord Beerus:** "What? No, we've never been together at all." Leaning back to sit up straight once again, she tilted her head to the right and now she's staring at me in a puzzled manner.

 **Tina:** "Really? You always spoke so fondly of him and every picture you've ever shown me of you two together you both always looked so happy. Like lovers." Well, that's enough to make me blush. I never once noticed that. I looked down at my lap out of sheer embarrassment.

 **Lord Beerus:** "N-now you know. Although, the problem I face is...similar in nature."

 **Tina:** "Oh. Do you have feelings for him, but you don't know how to approach him?" I slowly nodded.

 **Lord Beerus:** "Yes. I've never felt this way about anyone before. All of these feelings are new and they're making me confused and admittedly scared. I have no idea how to go about them." She nodded in an understanding way and placed her paw on my shoulder. Once there, she proceeded to soothingly rub it.

 **Tina:** "Is there anything else?"

 **Lord Beerus:** "Yes. Unfortunately, that's not even the worst part of my dilemma. Liquiir...wants to be my life mate. And, without meaning to, I rejected him. Because of that, he's in pain." I gulped. "So much pain. I-I just don't know what to do, mom!" I shouted as a burst of energy erupted from my body, pushing her back a little. "I-I don't want to lose him, but I feel so weak and powerless! I feel like I'm trapped in an eternal spiral of despair and anguish. I feel like all of my nightmares are becoming a reality and I can't do anything about it! He's in an even worse state of mind and I just want to help him! I just want to save him. I just want to hug him, hold him close, and tell him that everything's going to be all right. I-I just..." I sniffled several times.

 **Tina:** "Oh, Bee," she said in a sympathetic tone. I screwed my eyes tightly shut to prevent these damn tears of vulnerability from escaping me! I then held my head just as tightly between my paws.

 **Lord Beerus:** "I'm sorry that you have to see me like this, mom. I-I feel so helpless." My voice is breaking and I'm on the verge of devolving to pathetic sobs. Every awful thing that Champa told me, even if it was just a cruel ploy to see how much I truly care about Liquiir, is hitting me full force right in the chest. Even harder than before. Earlier, I was livid. That's why I was able to hold back my tears. But now, I can't use my anger and frustration to hide the underlying emotions I've been feeling all day. I don't want to. Even so, I _shouldn't_ cry, damn it!

 **Tina:** "Don't be sorry, sweetie. It's okay to cry." She wrapped her arms around my neck and rubbed my back comfortingly with her right paw. Taking my own off of my head, I opened my eyes and looked over at her.

 **Lord Beerus:** "But it's not, mom. A God of Destruction is supposed to be strong. Commanding. I can't possibly be viewed as such if-"

 **Tina:** "Beerus, there's nothing wrong with having genuine emotions. There is a sacredness in tears. They are not the mark of weakness, but of power. They speak more eloquently than ten thousand tongues. They are the messengers of overwhelming grief, of deep contrition, and of unspeakable love." She stopped hugging me and grabbed my paws with hers. "You have a good heart and you actually care about others, even if you've been taught to distance yourself for the sake of your job. In my opinion, what makes a good God of Destruction is not uncaring ruthlessness. Having compassion and respect for your fellow inhabitants of your universe is what makes a good God of Destruction. I know that you're not perfect, but no one is. It's mortal to be imperfect. And being mortal is great." I gave my wonderful mom a small, appreciative smile.

 **Lord Beerus:** "It is, isn't it?" She nodded with a caring one of her own.

 **Tina:** "It truly is." Using my right paw, I wiped away the last remaining tears on my cheeks. I feel much better thanks to my mom's kind and wise words. At the same time, they're bittersweet because, based on my mom's opinion, I'm far from being a good God of Destruction. I don't usually like admitting when I'm at fault, but I know this much. Until recently, I abandoned compassion and respect for other beings and now I'm honestly beginning to feel bad over that. I sighed. One thing at a time, Beerus.

 **Lord Beerus:** "Thank you, mom. You don't know how much I needed that. May I...rest my head in your lap?"

 **Tina:** "Of course, sweetie. Come here." My smile increased in size a little. After letting go of her paws, I lied down on my left side with my head in her lap.

 **Lord Beerus:** "Could you also pet my head?" I shyly asked. Immediately, she did as I asked and lovingly stroked it, including my ears. My smile grew as I nuzzled her dress, enjoying the warmth her lap's giving off. I don't mind acting like a young kitten right now. I feel so comfortable and safe like this. I'm tempted to just sleep and forget about all of my worries, but Liquiir takes priority. I stopped my nuzzling and looked up at her out of the corner of my eye. "I'm truly grateful for your pep talk earlier," I began. "Still, I'd appreciate an answer about what to do with my situation."

 **Tina:** "If you want an accurate answer, I think that _you_ should be the one to figure it out."

 **Lord Beerus:** "But if I thought I could do that, I-"

 **Tina:** "No buts, mister," she gently cut me off. "Just try. Look deep inside yourself. You're a smart boy. You can figure something out if you really put some effort into it." Perhaps. I suppose I can give it a shot. A shot in the dark. I nodded at her words and closed my eyes in thought. I'm going to start with what I know. Liquiir's my best friend. He means so much to me. He's very special to me. I want to see him happy. I want to see him prosper. He deserves that much.

I know that if our positions were reversed, he'd want the same for me. Hold on, I think I've said something very similar already. Yes, when I was at my brother's temple. I've said it out loud and now I'm repeating my points internally. _Why_ am I even thinking about this? My answer is one that I've already known, but have been too afraid to admit. But after today, I think that I can.

 **Lord Beerus:** "Mom?"

 **Tina:** "Yes?" I opened my eyes and sat up. I then deeply inhaled and exhaled and looked over at her.

 **Lord Beerus:** "Again, thank you _so_ much. You were a great help. I have to go and see Liquiir." Standing up, I made my way out of the living room and navigated my way through the halls.

 **Tina:** "Wait, hold on," my mom called after me. I stopped and turned around. She's moving toward me with a concerned look. "You didn't seem to take very long to come to a decision." She stopped in front of me and placed her paws on either side of my face. "You don't have to tell me what it is, but maybe you should ponder on it some more." I placed my paws on hers and shook my head.

 **Lord Beerus:** "No. I've been thinking all day and hearing your words were a wake-up call. I know what I want." Champa helped, too. His words were like a seed he planted in my mind. My small tantrum caused it to sprout. After coming here, to a quiet, calm place, with no judgment or hate to be found anywhere, she encouraged me to think for myself. That encouragement to collect myself, along with the encouragement to open the floodgates to my emotions, allowed that sprout to blossom into the answer I sought. Heh. I can be deep when I want to be.

 **Tina:** "Okay, then." She reluctantly removed her paws and nodded. "Whatever you choose to do, I hope that it makes you both happy." I took my own back.

 **Lord Beerus:** "It will," I assured her. "I know it will." I turned around and began walking away once again. Once I reached the door that leads to outside, I placed my right paw on the door handle and turned it. Wait, something in the corner just caught my eye. On my right is an unassuming coat rack. At the very top is a purple scarf.

A scarf that my mom wraps around her head sometimes. A scarf that _I_ made. I can't believe it. She still has it. After all of these years, she still has it. It's nothing special. It doesn't look bad, but it doesn't look good, either. It's mediocre at best. I thought that she only wore it to make me feel good and accomplished with myself, that she would have gotten rid of it at some point, but she still has it.

 **Tina:** "Bee? What's wrong?"

 **Lord Beerus:** "Nothing. I just...I love you mom," I said quietly without turning to her.

 **Tina:** "I love you, too," she said just as quietly. I smiled to myself and opened the door. This is the right choice. It's what's best for me. It's what's best for Liquiir. It's what's best for both of us. And mom, Champa...thank you both so much.

* * *

 **First off, I have a lot to say in this author's note. More than usual. But, I actually did edit it a little and made it shorter even after I put up the chapter.**

 **I'll be honest, I choked up a little writing this. But can you blame me? Beerus was struggling, desperate, hoping for anything that might help him save Liquiir. As he found out, even the most powerful of beings need to let a good cry out. And it's okay.**

 **And you know what? We have his wonderful mom, Tina, to thank for that wonderful life lesson. In case any of you were wondering, the name "Tinara" comes from the wine "Gattinara." You all know I had to keep the alcohol puns alive and well!**

 **Also, fun fact, Gattinara is derived from the Italian word "Gatto," meaning "A cat." Do any of you think I planned that ahead? Not at all! I just chose that name because it sounded the most feminine and the most beautiful. My good luck is ridiculous sometimes. So is my bad luck, but that's neither here nor there.**

 **As for the scarf, that idea wasn't my own. Quite a few months ago, when chapter three first came out, I had a private messaging conversation with reader and fellow writer,** **AnonymousZGirl. She suggested that I could make the females of Beerus' species commonly wear headbands. I thought about it and, as you can see, its iteration is in this chapter. She also gave me the idea for Pan to say something cute and funny relating to Beerus and Liquiir, so there we go. Thank you very much for your ideas, they were greatly appreciated!**

 **Another thing I want to mention is that I had to give 17, the MVP (Most Valuable Player) of the Tournament of Power, his due credit. You could easily argue that Goku was the MVP, but let's be honest. Without 17, whom I like so much as a character now, Universe 7 would have lost (and given how much of a surprise his obvious wish apparently was to everyone, the other universes probably would have stayed erased)!**

 **I also want to mention that this chapter was originally meant to be longer and with Beerus actually going to Liquiir to enact on his final decision, but I opted to cut it a little short. Something I seem to have a difficult time doing with author's notes sometimes. I blame myself for always wanting to say so much.**

 **As always, I hope you all enjoyed! Until** **the next chapter,** **D.F.T.B.A. (Don't Forget To Be Awesome!) Have an awesome day!**


	6. How to Save a Life

**How to Save a Life**

 **Hello, how are you all doing? Only a little more than a month since my last update. Not bad. Although, sadly, I wouldn't expect this to happen again anytime soon...sorry. Life.**

 **Before I begin with the rest of this author's note, I want to send a shout out to Demon Lucario (great Pok** **é** **mon, by the way) for bringing it to my attention that Cus is the oldest Angel among her siblings. Could you honestly blame me, though? Needless to say, I fixed that immediately. Thank you.**

 **With that of the way, I have a warning. This chapter is going to have detailed descriptions of blood. Much more than the last. And even some sexuality as well (but** _ **not**_ **because of blood, something I'd like to stress). It's not enough to be given an M rating, but enough to be considered** **risqué.**

 **Without any further ado, enjoy!**

* * *

All right, I'm on my way to Liquiir's home! Now, this is either going to be the riskiest idea of mine that pays off, or it horribly backfires and I get screwed like...like Yamcha not being picked to be at the Tournament of Power. It's honestly a good thing that he wasn't. He's probably a fine fighter on Earth, but if he joined us to help decide the fate of our universe, I personally don't believe that he would have been of much use. One might think that he'd feel bad, but for some reason, I can't shake the feeling that he's used to getting screwed over by everything and everyone on a daily basis. I wonder if that's just me?

Okay, nevermind that! I only have one shot at this! I'm going to take a cue from Goku and Vegeta. I will not give up, no matter what. Even in the face of extreme opposition. I owe it to everyone. I owe it to the other Gods of Destruction, his Supreme Kai, the friends he's made across the multiverse, the Kitsunian race as a whole, myself, and most importantly him.

The only obstacle I can imagine, other than Liquiir being beyond pissed at me and refusing my help, would be Korn. It wouldn't surprise me one bit if he was ordered to keep me away. I have to figure out a plan for that. Fighting him is not an option. The question is then, what do I do?

I deeply sighed. I've finally made landfall on one of the landing pads of the treetops, so I better come up with something really, really fast. I stepped out of my Hexahedron and immediately began flying to the main structure in the center. If Liquiir hasn't sensed me by now, surely Korn has. With that being said, I wonder how far I'll get before I'm stopped? If I am at all.

Ah, here we go! I'm not very far from Liquiir now. I softly landed in front of the door to the living quarters and entered with no hesitation. I just as quickly closed it behind me and continued on with my mission. Even while running, it's a bit of a trek to reach his bedroom near the top, which is where I assume he'll be. Although, barging in through his window had "Disastrous" and "Stupid" written all over it, so that wasn't a possibility.

Still, I'm technically barging into his home, except this way it's not as pronounced. That makes no difference to Korn, though. With each passing second, I'm getting closer and closer. At any moment now, I'll be deterred by him. Won't I? I honestly thought that he would have kept me from advancing about three stories below. Perhaps my fears were all for nothing this entire time and I'll be welcomed with open arms. That's what I'm hoping for, not what I'm expecting.

Upon reaching the hallway that leads to his bedroom, I slowed down to a complete stop. Even from here, I can feel his pained aura. I gulped and slowly started making my way to my destination. It's not only pained and sad, but I can also feel...darkness. This must mean that he's really becoming consumed by his negative emotions, just like Heles said!

With this thought in mind, I picked up the pace and speed walked to his door. By the time I reached it, it took all of my willpower to not kick it down. This is it. It might have taken a while, but I finally made it, Liquiir. I breathed in a shaky breath and I hesitantly reached out to the golden doorknob. Suddenly, a staff appeared, seemingly from thin air, to block my paw off and protect the door. I jerked my arm away and looked to my right.

 **Korn:** "Pardon me, Lord Beerus, but Lord Liquiir requested that no one disturbs him. He made it a point to stress your name." I slowly nodded my head.

 **Lord Beerus:** "I assumed as much. Even so, I don't care. I _must_ see him. I must make things right."

 **Korn:** "I understand your concern and while it is greatly appreciated, it's better if we allow him to recuperate on his own."

 **Lord Beerus:** "How can it _possibly_ be better? Not only is he getting no work done, but he's dying! _Dying_! Why are you letting this happen?" He closed his eyes and gave a tired sigh.

 **Korn:** "It was his wish, Lord Beerus." He opened his eyes. "I can assure you that I am fully aware of what happens when his people become this depressed. As unfortunate as his decision is, I am his Angel and therefore must follow his commands. For better or for worse." Oh, no, it's even worse than I thought; he's outright refusing any help. Is that why no one was doing anything? Because they knew that it was his desire to be left alone? Fuck it all! Well, it doesn't matter, anyway. He's getting my help one way or another!

 **Lord Beerus:** "Listen here and listen well. At this point, it doesn't matter if I do my job or not. The Omni-Kings probably don't give a shit about me. But Korn, think about this rationally! You were lucky to find someone like him! He's more than competent at his role. He excels in it! Don't you think that we owe it to the Omni-Kings to try _everything_ we possibly can to help him out of this detrimental state? Don't you think that leaving him like this while sitting down, twiddling our thumbs, hoping for a favorable outcome without actually doing anything, is a disservice to them both? Not only to them but to _him_ especially! Leaving him like this is not helping anyone!" Korn brought his hand to his chin in thought. Is the logic that I just barely pulled out of my ass going to reach him?

 **Korn:** "I admit, the Kings of All did come to mind when this situation arose. It truly would be a shame if Lord Liquiir was to move on to the afterlife after all he's done. Without finding a successor, no less." He lowered his hand and his scepter. He's no longer blocking the door! Does this mean what I think it means? "That is why I informed my siblings of this matter. In truth, I was hoping to have the news reach _your_ ears in particular." I blinked.

 **Lord Beerus:** "Really? You did?"

 **Korn:** "Indeed. I technically did not go against my lord's wishes, as I did not ask for help. If anyone happened to seek him out, it was purely of their own volition." Outwardly, I'm staring at the attendant intently with a slightly shocked expression. Inwardly, I'm smiling. He really cares about Liquiir. He didn't have to say a _single_ word about his condition. He could have let nature run its course. If he died, he died. He didn't, though. He spoke up. Maybe it's just Whis and Vados who are much too professional. "Additionally," he continued, "you brought up an excellent point regarding the King's of All. If news spread that the God of Destruction of Universe 8 died so suddenly, someone who, as you mentioned, 'excels', they would most likely be quite displeased." I nervously rubbed the back of my neck and looked down at the ground.

 **Lord Beerus:** "I'm not going to lie, I only brought them up because I was just saying anything to get past you. I wasn't thinking too hard about my own words."

 **Korn:** "Even so, you were correct. They may very...eager, but they are not fools, Lord Beerus. Finding, replacing, and training a God of Destruction takes up valuable time. The process becomes even more difficult if it must be done immediately, such as after an unexpected death." I raised my head at that. "Which, in turn, could result in a less than beneficial Destroyer and the quality of their universe would likewise suffer. Now then." The gem that perpetually floats above his staff began to glow a light green. I looked around the corridor, but I don't see it affecting anything. I turned my head to look at it again, only to find that it returned to its normal black color. What did he do just now? "Now that the door to Lord Liquiir's bedroom is unlocked, you may enter without any trouble."

 **Lord Beerus:** "Oh. That was helpful, thank you."

 **Korn:** "You are welcome. With that being said, don't expect anymore anytime soon, Lord Beerus."

 **Lord Beerus:** "I wasn't planning to." He gave a single nod.

 **Korn:** "I see." He stepped away to his left, allowing me to once again reach for the knob. Once I grabbed ahold of it, I slowly turned it. "I highly doubt that he will appreciate your presence at first, but I'm certain that he'll understand."

 **Lord Beerus:** "I hope so," I muttered. I looked to my right. Korn has left, leaving Liquiir and me alone. I looked back at the door and I'm trying to open it, but I'm frozen. My body's paralyzed, terrified at the thought of what it might see and how the encounter might go. I softly growled while trying to will my body to open this seemingly immovable object. Come on. Come on! Get a backbone! You pathetic wimp! Your best friend is in there, dying, and he needs you! Stop being scared!

I grabbed the knob with my left paw and used both to slowly open the door. Once it opened wide enough for me to enter, I released a relieved sigh I didn't even know I was holding in. I cautiously went in and closed the door behind me. Looking over at the bed a few feet in front of me, I can see a Kitsunian sized lump under the blankets.

 **Lord Beerus:** "Hey, Liquiir," softly called out. "I-I'm here. I'm so sorry that I'm late, but I'm here. Liquiir?" No answer, nor any movement. Against my better judgement, which hasn't been known to be the best, anyway, I took tentative steps toward my bedridden best friend. "Liquiir? Can you please talk to me? Or at least say _something_?" Still nothing. "Come on, don't give me the silent treatment or the cold shoulder. Give me something. _Anything_." Nope. Not a damn thing. No indication whatsoever that he has any interest in acknowledging me. After what feels like centuries, I made my way over to where his covered head is, on the left side of the bed. I'm so close now, I can touch him. I might as well, actually. That should elicit a response. Once I steeled my nerves, I reached out to hopefully get some real interaction.

 **Lord Liquiir:** "Don't," he suddenly said before I managed to get too close, making me take back my arm. "Don't touch me. I don't know why you're even here, but go away and leave me alone." He doesn't sound nearly as angry as I thought. Well, there is a twinge of anger in his voice, but he sounds more sad and tired than anything else.

 **Lord Beerus:** "Liquiir, will you please look at me? I want to have a conversation with something other than silence and your blanket." He quietly groaned and I know that specific one all too well. It's the kind you make when you really don't want to do something, but you usually end up doing it anyway.

 **Lord Liquiir:** "Fine...I'll do it," he reluctantly agreed. He pulled the covers off, but just enough to reveal the top half of his body, and sat up. After all of this time, he's out of hiding. The first thing I notice is how disheveled his fur is and also a distinct lack of his chest regalia. He doesn't have the gold adorning his upper arms and wrists, either; only the ones in his ear remains. Does that mean he's not wearing anything else? "There. I'm not under the blankets. Now what?" He looked over at me. For the most part, he looks surprisingly neutral, but he also has a tired look to his eyes. Actually, they look swollen and just under them they look wet. I must have interrupted him while he was crying.

 **Lord Beerus:** "I, um..." I shut my mouth. This is so awkward. He knows why I'm here, he just wants me to say it. That or his mind is so clouded with grief he genuinely doesn't know.

 **Lord Liquiir:** "If you're only here to waste my time, leave me alone and allow me to rest in peace." He lied down with his back toward me and pulled the covers up to his neck. I desperately want to help him, but I have no idea what to say. Speaking of talking, his choice of words just now were interesting. Rest in peace...why does that sound odd to me? Rest...in peace. Wait, as in R.I.P.?! Dead?! Is that what he means?! I lunged forward and practically slammed my paws on the bed, though I made sure not to get too close to him.

 **Lord Beerus:** "Liquiir, what did you mean by that?!"

 **Lord Liquiir:** "Stop yelling. And mean by what?"

 **Lord Beerus:** "By 'rest in peace.' What does that mean?"

 **Lord Liquiir:** "What do you think? Sleep. A well-deserved sleep. A very, very, very long sleep." No! No, damn it all, no! I won't let that happen!

 **Lord Beerus:** "Don't kill yourself!" I blurted out without thinking. He slowly sat back up, turned around, and blinked while looking at me quizzically. Well, that was one way to get the topic going. I removed myself from his bed, straightened my back, and held my paws together tightly.

 **Lord Liquiir:** "What? I won't kill myself...probably." He said that last part so quietly I almost didn't hear him, even with my superb hearing.

 **Lord Beerus:** "Liquiir, I don't-"

 **Lord Liquiir:** "Really care about me? I'm fully aware," he angrily continued, cutting me off. "You never did. You're just trying to 'Save me' because it will make _you_ feel better. _You_ don't want the guilt of knowing that _you_ drove someone, another God of Destruction, to suicide. _You_ don't want your precious reputation as a God of Destruction tarnished again. Even further, in fact. _You_ just want to keep in good graces with everyone again. _You_ want to keep your credibility. This is all for _your_ benefit, not mine."

 **Lord Beerus:** "That's not true, Liquiir, and you know it," I reproved. I'm keeping my paws to themselves so as to respect Liquiir's personal space, but it's starting to look like an uphill battle now. "You're my best friend in the entire multiverse." He scoffed while looking at me heatedly.

 **Lord Liquiir:** "Lies! You love emotionally torturing people! It's as simple as that." I can hear the conviction in his voice. He truly believes that I don't care about him, that he's trivial to me. His expression changed to match what he's feeling on the inside; heartache, and he looked down to stare at his lap with slumped shoulders. "I'm sorry, Beerus." Wait...what? _He's_ apologizing? That's not right. "It's all my fault. I shouldn't have done anything. It was stupid, like me. I should have known that I wasn't good enough for you. For anyone."

 **Lord Beerus:** "Don't say that! None of that's true!" I shouted while jumping onto the bed, making him flinch a little at my outburst. He looked at me once more, looking very uncertain. At least he doesn't mind me being this close to him anymore. "The blame is all mine. Everything that's going wrong in your life can be traced back to me," I said while lightly hitting my chest with my right paw. " _Me_. Not you." He sadly groaned and went back to looking down at his lap.

 **Lord Liquiir:** "I don't know. It truly feels like _I_ ruined everything." His voice is getting quieter and sadder with each word he speaks. "You were right, you know. I'll admit it and say that I _do_ believe dying would be right for me. I'm sorry that I'm such a burden." My eyes widened and I lightly gasped. He _is_ thinking about suicide! That's it, fuck respecting his personal space! I need to hold him and let him know that I'm here for him! Without bothering to ask for permission, I reached forward and wrapped my arms around him, causing his entire body to stiffen at the sudden contact. "B-Beerus?" he said meekly.

 **Lord Beerus:** "Come on, Liquiir, let me help you. You know better than anyone that how you're handling this isn't healthy." I moved my right paw up to his head and gently stroked it.

 **Lord Liquiir:** "I-I..." He's shaking like a leaf in the wind. He truly needs all of the compassion and understanding I can give him. I brought him even closer to me and brought my head to the top of his. I then used the paw that was previously petting him to caress his right arm.

 **Lord Beerus:** "I'm here for you, Liquiir. I promise that I'm going to help you. Please, let me help." He audibly gulped.

 **Lord Liquiir:** "I-no! S-stop it!" He shook me off and then lightly pushed me away from him, although not enough to get me off of the bed. He turned his head so that I don't see his face. "You can't just hug me, tell me sweet nothings, and expect everything to be all right! It doesn't work that way!" He sniffled and wiped his eyes with his right paw. "I wish that it did, but it doesn't. I-I just can't accept your help because...I'm not worthy of it! I'm not worthy of _you_! I never was and I never will be." He sniffled again and lied down on his side with his back to me. "I'm so sorry." I leaned forward and clutched the sheets with both paws, tight enough to make small tears in the fabric with my claws. I didn't want to have to do this, but it looks like I'll have to be aggressive to get my point across. It usually works for me, anyway.

 **Lord Beerus:** "Liquiir! Stop spouting that nonsense! And stop apologizing! I told you, everything is _my_ fault! You have _nothing_ to be sorry for!" He turned his head to look at me out of the corner of his eye.

 **Lord Liquiir:** "But I-"

 **Lord Beerus:** "No! None of that!" I sighed out a quick and angry breath. "Get out of this bed!" Before he could say anything on the matter, I grabbed him by the waist and started to drag him out.

 **Lord Liquiir:** "Hey! What are you doing?! Stop it!"

 **Lord Beerus:** "No! You are leaving this bed after who knows how long and we're going to talk about this!" I ignored the Kitsunian's constant protests, thrashing, and many attempts to wriggle himself free from my grasp. Once I got to the end of the bed, I hooked my own arms around his underarms. I then got down and planted my feet onto the carpet and hoisted him up in the air, catching him by his waist. What do you know, he isn't wearing any clothes, aside from a pair of deep red underwear.

 **Lord Liquiir:** "Beerus! I'm serious! Let me down!" I did as he asked and placed him onto solid ground, but I just as quickly turned him to face me. I held him firmly in place by the shoulders and stared directly into his eyes.

 **Lord Beerus:** "Liquiir! Stop struggling and listen to me! Everything you said and everything you believe right now is not true! Hey, I told you to listen to me!" I grabbed him by the chin with my right paw and forcibly made him look at me.

 **Lord Liquiir:** "But you rejected me! I'm clearly not worthy!"

 **Lord Beerus:** "Shut up with that! I'm tired of hearing this 'I'm not worthy of you' shit! I didn't mean to reject you! Everything was going so fast and I needed time to think!" He slowly stopped his panicked movements and looked at me with a shocked expression, like he never once considered that possibility. "Yes, I didn't mean to reject you. I promise you that. I didn't know what was happening and I got scared. Someone as amazing as you wanted to be life mates with me? That terrified me! And if anything, _I_ don't deserve _you_! There are millions, _billions_ of other people that I'm certain would be much better suited to be your life mate." I breathed heavily and let go of him. After that, I wiped my eyes with my paws and took a step back. "You deserve _everything_ you want, Liquiir. You're the greatest and most worthy person of _anything_ I know!" He fidgeted uncomfortably and looked down at the ground.

 **Lord Liquiir:** "That's what you say, but I'm still not sure. I-I-I don't know anything anymore! I'm so confused!" He held his head in between both paws, crying and sniffling all the while. "My brain is telling me to disregard everything you're saying to me, to kick you out of my home, but my heart is saying that I should listen to you! I don't know what to do!" I see...he needs a push. A very _drastic_ push. This really is the only way to make him understand, huh? Well, it's better me than him.

 **Lord Beerus:** "You don't have to listen to me. Not a single word I say." He looked up at me and blinked. "I understand. After I caused you so much pain, why would you? So...here." I gently grabbed his right arm and raised it for him. I moved it directly to my chest.

 **Lord Liquiir:** "Beerus? What are you doing?"

 **Lord Beerus:** "I want you to hurt me."

 **Lord Liquiir:** "Excuse me?"

 **Lord Beerus:** "Hurt me! Punch me! Kick me! Choke me! Stab me! Cut me! Do whatever you have to do to me to make yourself feel better."

 **Lord Liquiir:** "Wha-I-I can't do that." He moved his arm away, but I just as quickly put it back on my chest.

 **Lord Beerus:** "Please, I want you to. I'd rather be in pain than see you suffer. I'd rather _die_ than see you in agony like this. Do it!"

 **Lord Liquiir:** "I-I don't want to hurt you. I'm _not_ going to hurt you." He doesn't want to hurt me, even though he has every right to. That's a silver lining, I suppose. At the very least, it means that he's still based in reality and not entirely the dark, depressing, vortex of mental anguish the rest of him is based in. Still, that's not good enough. I need to pull him out completely. If my blood and my death are the sources of guiding light he needs, so be it. I straightened the fingers on my right paw and placed them on the left side of my body, where my ribs are.

 **Lord Beerus:** "Fine. Then I'll do it myself."

 **Lord Liquiir:** "W-what? What are you-"

 **Lord Beerus:** "Don't stop me. Let it happen." This is going to hurt like Hell, but I think that I have to do this. Okay, here goes. I'm going to do it quickly and I won't think about it, like guzzling down foul tasting medicine. My ki flared around my arm and I formed a purple blade. "Ah! Mother fucking son of a-!" Damn it! Agh! Because it was directly facing me, there was only one way for it to go, and that's through my lung and out the other side of my body. My legs wobbled and twitched before finally giving out. I almost fell, but I managed to catch and hold myself up with my left arm.

 **Lord Liquiir:** "B-Beerus! I don't know what you think you're doing, but hurting yourself isn't the answer!" He rushed over to pick me up, but once he grabbed me I shook him off and pushed him away, making him drop me to my knees.

 **Lord Beerus:** "I-I said to-ach!" I hacked up blood into left paw. "I said to let it happen!" I aggressively swiped the embedded blade through the left of my body, effectively slicing my lung and causing the carpet and my paw to be drenched. I gasped for clean air while simultaneously and profusely coughing my precious bodily fluid. Obviously, not a good combination...it's difficult to get oxygen this way. This pain is a terrible burning sensation and I'm practically choking on myself. Still, I have a divine body, so even without immediate intervention, I won't die.

Of course, what happens from here is up to Liquiir. I don't want to die yet and this is probably not very good for his fragile psyche...which is precisely why I'm doing this. This sounds cruel, but I have to shatter his mind before it can be rebuilt into who he once was. I'm hoping that this will shock him back into reality. This crazy plan of mine that I hastily thought of back when I was visiting mom...I hope that it reaches Liquiir and it doesn't fall on deaf ears.

Oh, fuck...the pain's starting to fade. That's not a good sign. I dizzily collapsed onto the floor and face planted into a small pool of my blood. Slowly but surely, even though slight muscle spasms that are passing through my entire body, I looked up to see the face of a distressed, crying Kitsunian who has no idea what to do. I can tell that he wants to help me, but he's respecting the fact that I don't want any and it's eating him up on the inside.

Well, this is part of my plan, too. I'm showing him how _he_ was acting earlier and how it made _me_ felt. Hopefully, this switching of roles will get him one step closer to normalcy. I coughed and spat to clear my mouth and throat as best I could. I need to tell him something before I slip into unconsciousness.

 **Lord Beerus:** "L-Liquiir," I whispered weakly. He immediately got onto his paws and knees and brought his face close to mine.

 **Lord Liquiir:** "What is it, Beerus? Tell me!" He sounds so worried and scared. That makes me happy in a messed up sort of way.

 **Lord Beerus:** "W-whatever decision you make...I'll be fine with it." I reached out with my bloodied, dripping right paw. He took it into both of his. "J-just be happy like before. I...I don't want to see you waste away. Please," I implored. With a final breath, I closed my eyes and lied down on the left side of my head. I don't know if this is where I die, but if it is, I guess I'll be joining mom sooner than expected.

* * *

Ow, my head. It's like I'm having a hangover all over again. Does that mean I died, after all? Does it hurt when you die? Wait, no, that sounds really dumb. Does your pain carry over to the afterlife? Yeah, that's what I meant by my poorly constructed words. That sounds much less stupid.

I opened my eyes and, once I finished blinking away the dizziness, pushed myself off of the ground and onto my feet. My injuries are gone, I just have this headache. I wonder, did I land my ass in Heaven or Hell? I placed my paws on my hips and looked around at my surroundings.

I'm standing on a riverbank for a large lake, for one. It's bigger than the one on my planet. The inclines are steep and from left to right they go quite a distance, far enough to where even I can't tell where they stop. There aren't any trees to speak of, but there is luscious, tall, green grass swaying and flowing in the wind all around, as far the eye can see.

The sun's shining brightly high in the sky and the water's calm and peaceful. I see a few orange, black, and white scaled fish swimming about. They look like koi fish, but they also have a single antenna with a bulb at the end, sticking out of their heads. Like an angler fish. Only much, _much_ prettier and easier on the eyes.

This _looks_ like it could be Heaven. Of course, now that I think about it, just because this is a different universe, it doesn't mean that there isn't a Check-In Station. No matter what, I would have had to be judged there to decide my fate first, so I'm not dead. Damn my lucid dreams, always tricking and confusing me. What is this dream even about? That's the real question.

Hm? Was that a splash? It sounded like it came from the opposite riverbank. I looked toward the sound to find...me? That looks like me. A young me. Just sitting down, casually throwing in rocks without a care in the world. I better get a closer look.

I quickly flew over and, as I thought, this is indeed me. Only a lot younger. One thing's for certain, this is shaping up to be a very interesting dream. Oddly enough, this feels very familiar. And I wonder, can he sense me? Or even see or hear me, for that matter? I didn't try to be stealthy when I flew over here next to him.

I opened my mouth, but no words or noises of any kind came out. I then crouched down and snapped my right fingers several times. Again, no noise. Okay, that's one question answered. I waved my right paw in front of his face. No reaction. What about trying to touch him? I moved my left paw to pat his back and...nothing. It went right through. I wonder what-

 **Lord Liquiir:** "Hey, there! You're Beerus, right?" Oh, look at that, Liquiir's here as well. Both I and my past self looked over to find him standing not too far away from us with a friendly smile and his arms behind his back. Ah, wait! My eyes widened and I slapped my forehead with my right paw as the realization hit me hard, like...like literally slicing my lung. How could I possibly forget about this day?! This is the day when I first met Liquiir.

This particular day's purpose was for a meet and greet. It was to help introduce Champa and me to the other Gods of Destruction and to foster friendship since we were both so new at the time. It also served as a hearing of sorts, to allow us to see what the other Destroyers were doing with their respective universes and whether we wanted to emulate their practices. I remember Champa doing fairly well, but I wasn't in a good place at the time and I didn't do any meeting or greeting.

 **Lord Beerus:** "I-uh, yes! I'm Lord Beerus!" He scrambled to his feet and gave a hasty bow. It's weird to hear past me talk. And was I really _that_ awkward and nervous? "It's nice to meet you, Liquiir. L-Lord Liquiir! Please, excuse me." The Kitsunian stared at him for a few seconds before breaking out into laughter. It's nice to hear it again, even if this is in the past. Now that I think about it, how appropriate that this is my dying memory.

 **Lord Liquiir:** "Beerus, it's fine! You don't have to be so nervous and formal with me. Just 'Liquiir' is okay. You can stop bowing, by the way."

 **Lord Beerus:** "O-of course. Sorry." Past me stood up straight.

 **Lord Liquiir:** "Don't worry about it." Liquiir brought his arms forward and _there_ we go! The long golden-brown piece of bread that started everything has finally made its grand appearance. "Your teacher is Whis, right?" he asked while taking a small bite.

 **Lord Beerus:** "Yes. His teachings are...strenuous," he said quietly while looking down at the ground. I'm nodding my head in agreement because I would never wish his training on anyone and that includes the people I hate most. Even among his siblings, he's _tough_. What Goku and Vegeta are doing right now? Since they're not training to be Gods of Destruction, their training is _painfully_ tame.

 **Lord Liquiir:** "I'm really sorry to hear that, Beerus. I've heard that he was a hard teacher."

 **Lord Beerus:** "Yeah. It has to get better, though." Nope. Sorry to say, but it only gets far worse from here on out. It's a good thing no one told me that or I would have quit immediately. He looked up at Liquiir. Finally. "Would it be all right if we talk about something...else? Where'd you get that bread?"

 **Lord Liquiir:** "I've had it the entire time. You're just now noticing?" Yes, because I was too busy praying that the training got easier to notice a six-inch long piece of bread.

 **Lord Beerus:** "Oh. It, uh, looks good."

 **Lord Liquiir:** "It is." He tilted his head slightly to the right. "You look really hungry. Do you want it?" he asked while holding out his left arm as a sign to take it.

 **Lord Beerus:** "Yes?" he said while nervously moving around, though not getting any closer to the offered food. I internally sighed. I remember why I was so hesitant to take it at first. Dark times.

 **Lord Liquiir:** "You don't sound sure. Is it because I already took a bite from it? I can break off this small section." Liquiir took his arm back and prepared to remove the area where he bit off a piece.

 **Lord Beerus:** "No, it's okay!" he shouted a little too loudly. He uncomfortably laughed. "I mean, I don't mind. It's just...Whis has ordered me to fast. You know, to train me to not be so reliant on food." Ironic considering I'm allowed to eat as much as I want whenever I want. One of the benefits of surviving his training.

 **Lord Liquiir:** "Oh, really? That's a shame. How long has it been now?"

 **Lord Beerus:** "F-five days," he quietly admitted. In turn, Liquiir stared wide-eyed at young me, mouth agape.

 **Lord Liquiir:** "W-what?! Five days?!" he loudly exclaimed. He rushed over and forced the bread into my paws. "Here, take it! Eat! I'll force feed you if I have to!" Past me looked at the Kitsunian with a surprised and slightly scared expression, but it was replaced with longing as soon as his eyes fell on the food.

 **Lord Beerus:** "I-I want to, but I don't know. Whis might not like that." Oh, the days when I was genuinely scared of Whis. I don't miss those at all.

 **Lord Liquiir:** "Don't worry about it! If you get in trouble, I'll take the blame and whatever consequence Whis wants to give to you, he can give to me."

 **Lord Beerus:** "R-really? Are you sure?" How about that? Young me is now staring at Liquiir like he's my hero. With good reason, obviously.

 **Lord Liquiir:** "Yes, I am. Look, I'm not going to let you starve when I can do something about it. It's part of your training, sure, but come on. You need to eat. So, here, eat it." And just like that, with no more encouragement needed, the bread's being devoured in ravenous bites. In a matter of seconds, it's been reduced to nothing but crumbs.

 **Lord Beerus:** "That was really good. Thank you." Liquiir laughed.

 **Lord Liquiir:** "You're welcome. Ha, ha! You were hungry, that's for sure! " Past me laughed with his newfound friend. Present me is soundlessly laughing, too. This has really lifted up my spirits and this memory is something I'll always treasure. Even if I do forget it sometimes. From that one simple act of kindness, our wonderful friendship began and flourished into what it is today. And it all began over a piece of bread.

I suddenly let out a noiseless yawn and stretched my arms. Damn, I'm feeling tired all of a sudden. Just like when I had that dream of Liquiir at Bulma's party. I guess that's my mind's way of telling me to wake up, huh? Oh, if I'm waking up, that means that I _am_ alive! Excellent! I just hope that my plan worked. I sat down on the grassy incline while closing my eyes, placed my paws behind my head, and fell back. Waking world, here I come.

* * *

Damn, fuck me! I don't have a headache anymore, but I _do_ have a sore body. On the left side, right where I stabbed myself, and that definitely means that I'm back in the real world. That's good. Despite the pain I still feel, I also feel surprisingly comfortable. It feels like I'm on a bed.

I moved my head to face the left side. I then opened my eyes and the first thing to greet me was Liquiir himself, sitting beside me cross-legged with his eyes closed and holding his paws tightly together in his lap. If his body language wasn't enough to convey how worried he is, I can feel it in his aura.

Well, there's no use making him anxious about my wellbeing. It goes without saying that I should let him know that I'm all right and that I've mostly recuperated. Besides, it's not a matter of how _I'm_ doing. It's a matter of how _he's_ doing. Everything that I've done up until this point, it was all for him. If all I accomplished was making him feel even worse, then...

 **Lord Beerus:** "Hey," I quietly said, causing his ears to perk up. "How's life been going for you since I've been in a coma? Did you get all of that depressing talk out of your system?" He turned his head and looked at me with a stupefied expression, though I can tell how relieved he is to see me okay. I slowly began to sit up and-oof! Nevermind, I'm not. He tackled me into a tight hug and he proceeded to nuzzle my right cheek with his.

 **Lord Liquiir:** "I'm so happy to see that you're okay!" I smiled and wrapped my right arm around him.

 **Lord Beerus:** "The feeling's mutual. Does this mean you feel better?" He stopped his nuzzling and let me go. He then proceeded to return to his own personal space.

 **Lord Liquiir:** "I-yes. I do feel much better. Thank you." He's being very professional - or at least trying to be - so I don't think I should expect much more affection anytime soon. I nodded and sat up.

 **Lord Beerus:** "Of course. I'd do anything for you." He nodded back and looked down at my previously injured area. I looked down as well. No scar. "I see Korn did a fine job."

 **Lord Liquiir:** "Indeed...he did. Why did you do something so reckless?" he suddenly asked the question I was expecting. I looked up into his curious eyes.

 **Lord Beerus:** "I didn't want to resort to such extremes. Truly, I didn't, but I felt as though shocking you was the only way to get you back to reality and actually talk to me. Without all of the hate and anger, I should say. Besides, I knew that you'd heal me before anything bad happened." He looked at me and made a fist with his left paw. It looks like he's going to punch my right upper arm. He closed his eyes and tiredly sighed.

 **Lord Liquiir:** "As I said earlier, that was very reckless of you. You didn't have to nearly kill yourself, you know," he scolded quietly as he opened his eyes. Okay, now he's instead lightly caressing my arm with the back of his paw. He must have resigned to just giving me a small amount of tenderness, given how much I already hurt myself.

 **Lord Beerus:** "Probably not. Although, at the same time, you were so damn sad. If I didn't do something drastic, you were probably going to kill yourself," I countered.

 **Lord Liquiir:** "I...I honestly don't know, I can't answer that. I wasn't in a good state of mind by any means, but you still meant everything to me...even though thinking about you hurt me." He stopped petting me, lowered his head and his ears sadly, and closed his eyes once more. "In any case, thank you for saving me from myself..." I looked at him carefully. First extreme happiness and affection a few days ago. Then extreme depression mixed with anger. And now sadness again, though not as extreme. Thankfully. Kitsunians really are emotionally sensitive creatures. I reached forward with my right paw and gently wiped away a tear on the left side of his face.

 **Lord Beerus:** "Liquiir, it's okay," I told him softly. "Please, look at me." He did as I asked, but only for a second before turning away. He then placed some distance between us. So, he's feeling guilty? I can't accept that. He has no reason to. I'm the one who should be feeling remorseful, not him. He's done nothing wrong and I need to remind him of that.

I closed the gap between us and, without any warning, picked him and set him down in my lap with his back to me, earning myself a surprised yelp. In spite of everything that's recently happened, I softly smiled at the cute sound he emitted. I can use some cute right now. Anything is better than what I've been dealing with. What _we've_ been dealing with.

With my left arm, I'm hugging him just under his ribs and holding him closely. With my right paw, I'm cupping the left side of his face and having him look at me. My smile's making him smile. Furthermore, I can see it in his eyes. He looks apprehensive, but also hopeful. I moved my paw up to his ear and affectionately rubbed it. Good, he's relaxing in my arms. I need him to trust me again.

 **Lord Liquiir:** "Beerus, I-"

 **Lord Beerus:** "Liquiir, don't feel guilty," I gently cut him off. "If anyone should be, it's me, without a doubt. I should have just talked to you about my feelings. I didn't understand them. And because of that, I hurt you deeply. I almost killed your happiness. Your joy. Your mischievousness. Your optimism." I brought my paw down to his chest. I sniffled. "Y-your amazing and c-caring heart. E-everything that makes you...you." I'm choking up worse than when I was with my mom. I didn't think that was possible. "I...I was s-selfish and inconsiderate. I didn't take _your_ feelings into account." I wiped my eyes several times. "I'm so sorry, Liquiir."

 **Lord Liquiir:** "Beerus," he called. I'm not sobbing pathetically like I assumed I would. Even if I was, it's okay to cry. I know that now. I buried my face into his neck, finding comfort in his soft fur. I felt his upper body shift and twist so that he could wrap his arms around my back in both a comforting and protective way. "Beerus, it's okay. Everything's going to be okay. I'm here for you," he caringly soothed. Funny, I said the same thing earlier. I nodded and moved my head back. I looked down to find that his lower body is still in the same position as before, with his legs being inside of mine. The advantages of having a flexible spine. "Here...take them," he continued, garnering my full attention once more. Despite our close proximity, his tails still managed to sneak their way between us. He brushed them purposely along my face, most likely to try and wipe my tears away. Does this mean that he trusts me again?

 **Lord Beerus:** "Are you sure?"

 **Lord Liquiir:** "Yes, I'm sure. Please." I nodded and grabbed one with my right paw, using it as a tissue. He smiled softly and wrapped the other two around my waist. I returned his smile and stared fondly into his eyes. I almost can't believe it. Talking about my feelings actually made me feel better. That old adage, one that I thought was completely stupid and useless, has merit. Inhaling and exhaling deeply, I released the furry appendage. It wrapped around my neck. I then leaned my head forward and Liquiir copied my action, pressing his forehead against mine.

 **Lord Beerus:** "Thank you. Liquiir?" I asked shyly.

 **Lord Liquiir:** "Yes, Beerus?" I lightly gulped. Here's where the decision I decided upon when I spoke to my mom comes into play.

 **Lord Beerus:** "Do you...still want to be life mates?" His smile grew as he held onto me even tighter.

 **Lord Liquiir:** "Yes. More than anything else." Along with an ever growing blush, my own smile increased in size at his answer. He removed his forehead from mine to nuzzle my right cheek with his once more. He then turned his body so that it's completely facing me. For my part, I moved my paws and ran them along the small of his back, earning myself some gentle purring. Much like his smile is the one sight I've missed the most, I've missed that gleeful sound more than anything else. Still, as much as I enjoy _this_ , one thing is missing. The most _important_ aspect to make this moment perfect.

 **Lord Beerus:** "Hey, Liquiir, can we do the...thing?" He moved his head back to look at me.

 **Lord Liquiir:** "And what 'thing' is that?" I bet he's thinking about something of a sexual nature. I'm not opposed, but it's not what I have in mind.

 **Lord Beerus:** "The, uh...the tail thing. You know what I mean." I swished my tail around and lightly tapped behind me on the bed to make my message more clear. His smile and his eyes widened.

 **Lord Liquiir:** "Yes, of course! _That_ thing!" He's so excited and happy. That makes me feel so good. He unraveled his tails from my body and got out of my lap, eagerly taking a seat to the right of me. We're now assuming the same exact positions when he first tried to perform his courtship ritual a week ago. Only this time, I'm ready and _very_ willing to accept. He looked into my eyes. They look so bright and brimming with joy. "Are you ready?" he asked me excitedly.

 **Lord Beerus:** "Of course. Go right ahead." Nodding at my words, he squeezed my paw and after all of this time, he coiled his tails around mine. They cover mine so completely it's as if they were mine to begin with. Yeah, in the grand scheme of things the courtship ritual was simple. It was short. Very short.

Even so, I can understand why this seemingly unnecessary action is important. It's so intimate. And I can feel his fondness for me. It's coming off of him in powerful waves. Then again, that could always just be the vibration from his purring. It could also be mine. Now that I'm comfortable with who I am and I know what I want, I'm not going to disrespect Liquiir by trying to resist my urge to purr anymore. He definitely doesn't.

 **Lord Liquiir:** "I hear someone's enjoying themselves," he commented.

 **Lord Beerus:** "Uh-huh. A true symphony of happiness we have." He hummed his agreement. Meanwhile, I turned my head and looked him over. He's relaxed. Happy. Cute...and only down to his underwear. I then looked myself over. I just realized that I am _vastly_ overdressed for this occasion. I cleared my throat. "Hey, can you give me a few seconds? I look inappropriate." He looked me up and down. He then stared at me in confusion.

 **Lord Liquiir:** "What do you mean?" I let go of his paw and jumped off of the bed.

 **Lord Beerus:** "You'll see." Not wasting another second, I quickly removed every piece of my attire, setting whatever I took off onto the floor. There we go. I looked over at Liquiir and smiled. "Okay, _now_ I look appropriate." He nodded.

 **Lord Liquiir:** "Indeed. Y-you look good like that," he told me bashfully.

 **Lord Beerus:** "Thank you, I appreciate the compliment. That being said, I want an explanation for something."

 **Lord Liquiir:** "All right. I'll do my best to provide one." Nodding, I got back onto the bed and motioned for Liquiir to sit in my lap again. He readily complied and took his seat. In turn, I gently, but firmly, wrapped my arms around him and placed my muzzle between his ears. I then lied down on my back and held him close to me. I don't intend to let him go. Not again. Not so soon. All I want right now is to cuddle with my favorite fox and I _will_ cuddle with him, damn it.

 **Lord Beerus:** "When I last visited you," I began, "you were quite affectionate. Much more affectionate than usual. Is there any special reason behind that?"

 **Lord Liquiir:** "Yeah, you could say that. Truth be told, I was using any excuse I could to be as close to you and have as much physical contact with you as possible. I tried to do it as subtle as possible as well because, on some level, I thought that if I said 'Hey, let's snuggle all day!' you wouldn't be too keen on visiting me again."

 **Lord Beerus:** "Ah, I see. You did a good job, I didn't notice anything _too_ out of the ordinary, even when you asked me to strip down to my underwear so that we could soak in the hot spring together." He chuckled. "Also, I'm just guessing that the heart and rainbow we made was another subtle way of saying 'I really like you and I want to be life mates'?"

 **Lord Liquiir:** "It was. May I admit something else to you?"

 **Lord Beerus:** "Yes, what is it?"

 **Lord Liquiir:** "Do you remember at the party when I let you pet and hold and do whatever with my tails?"

 **Lord Beerus:** "Yes?" I said cautiously. I feel like I know where this is going.

 **Lord Liquiir:** "And do you also remember how I looked throughout the duration? "

 **Lord Beerus:** "I do. It looked as if you were...I'll say 'Struggling.' I believe that's the most fitting word for how you appeared."

 **Lord Liquiir:** "That sounds about right. The reason I looked like I was struggling is that...well, I kind of was. To put it bluntly, you were turning me on." That _was_ where it was going. It looks like I was right.

 **Lord Beerus:** "Is that so?" He nodded.

 **Lord Liquiir:** "Yes. In addition to trying to suppress my purring, I was also trying very hard not to just...pounce on you. For one, you were intoxicated, albeit only slightly at the time. I didn't want to take advantage of you. Two, above all, I _had_ to perform my courtship ritual. No matter how much I wanted to be with you, that is a _must_. To that end, I needed to first verify that you actually had an interest in being life mates with me. You _are_. You, yourself, just needed some time to sort out your feelings first." I nodded and rubbed his soft ears with my face. They're flickering against me every now and then in response. They tickle a little bit.

 **Lord Beerus:** "That's good to know. Again, I'm deeply sorry about that."

 **Lord Liquiir:** "No, it's completely fine. It was completely unreasonable for me to expect you to know about my people's romantic culture, let alone _my_ feelings for you." I shrugged.

 **Lord Beerus:** "Whatever, don't worry about it. It's water under the bridge." He turned over to face me.

 **Lord Liquiir:** "Are you sure? It's really fine?"

 **Lord Beerus:** "Yes, it really...um..." I trailed off as my gaze slowly traveled lower to his lips. They're so close to mine. So kissable. That's a crime in of itself. We haven't even shared our first kiss yet. I should fix that. My gaze returned to his eyes. "Sorry about that. I got distracted. Anyway, it's really fine. However, do you know what _isn't_ fine?"

 **Lord Liquiir:** "What's that?" I smiled and gently caressed the right side of his face.

 **Lord Beerus:** "We haven't even kissed yet. Don't you think we should do something about that?" He smiled back and nodded.

 **Lord Liquiir:** "Oh, yes, we most definitely should." I chuckled.

 **Lord Beerus:** "That's what I like to hear." I tightened my grip around his slender waist and rolled us over so that now I'm atop of him. "You don't mind if I take charge, do you?" He shook his head.

 **Lord Liquiir:** "Not at all. I think it's better this way." Really? Why is it-oh, that's right. Because Kitsunians are usually only ever life mates with one person, they're almost always going to be virgins in just about every sense of the word. That's okay, though. I'm no stranger to teaching the more physical acts of passion to inexperienced lovers.

I breathed in and out deeply before slowly but surely giving him a soft, experimental kiss on his lips and closed my eyes. It's the first kiss I've given to another man. Ever. If we're going to be life mates, I want to get used to this feeling since we'll be doing this a lot. We're already off to a great start. He suddenly wrapped his arms around my neck and held onto me tightly. Heh. It's almost as if he's trying to choke me out in the most ineffective way possible.

A few more seconds passed and I slowly pulled away. Breathing slightly harder, I opened my eyes just in time to see his open. He's also breathing a little harder and he's giving me a very warm smile. I smiled back. "That was really nice," he quietly voiced. He's being shy now. So damn cute.

 **Lord Beerus:** "It was," I immediately agreed. I would feel far too embarrassed to utter this aloud, but I have much more to say about the kiss we just shared. Even as Gods of Destruction, with massive reserves of stamina, we were both still rendered slightly out of breath. If they were to become more passionate, we would both take each other's breath completely away. To put it simply...our kiss was everything I was hoping it would be and they will only get better from here on.

I looked from my right and left at Liquiir's wagging tails. I removed my right arm from his waist and poked one of them a couple of times. "What did _you_ guys think of it?" As if to answer, two of them, one from each side of my body, wrapped around my tail. The third coiled around the front of my own waist, onto my back, and between my ears and over my left eye. Heh. It's like I have I fray, like one of those dreary teenagers who believe that every aspect of life sucks. Those kids should really get over themselves. Or at least go outside every once in a while. "It looks like that's my answer." The fox chuckled and slowly rubbed my right cheek with his.

 **Lord Liquiir:** "I love you, Beerus." Whoa. I wasn't expecting him to drop that bomb anytime soon, oddly enough. I'm not surprised that he told me, but I still didn't expect it. If anything, after all of my confusion and questioning, one might wonder if him telling me that so easily makes me happy. One might wonder if my heart has been sent aflutter as result. One might be fucking right they did!

 **Lord Beerus:** "You know, Liquiir," I began as I pulled my head back to look into his eyes, "of all the things I thought you might say, that wasn't one of them, believe it or not."

 **Lord Liquiir:** "Oh, I see. Pardon me, I didn't mean to say it so soon." What? He assumes that it _wasn't_ okay for him to say that he loves me? Hm, let's see. I _could_ alleviate him of his newfound self-consciousness, but let's see where this goes. He suddenly gave me a gentle and understanding smile. After that, he brought his right paw to my cheek and began stroking it with his thumb. "It's okay if you can't tell me. I'm not going to force you to do anything that you're not comfortable with. I mean...I kind of did put you in that situation already. We both know that it wasn't good by any means. In any case, it doesn't matter to me. You're here, that's all I need. And furthermore-"

 **Lord Beerus:** "Liquiir? You're rambling. Shut up, so I can tell you that I love you, too." He opened his mouth to say something, but he just as quickly closed it. Afterward, his smile grew cheekier as he brought both of his arms down to my back. He's holding me even closer than before now.

 **Lord Liquiir:** "I don't know, I was getting used to my rambling there. Perhaps I can be persuaded to shut up, but only if you kiss me again." Really, now? Well, that's all I need to know. Without another second to waste I connected our lips again. If I'm being honest, kissing him feels...addictive. Intoxicating. Despite this being only our second kiss, I think that I can say with confidence that I would do this all day every day; lungs permitting, of course.

And, like an addiction, I want more. Even if it's just a small amount. I lightly pressed our crotches together and began the pleasurable process of slowly grinding them together. He softly moaned and pushed back against me harder. Knowing that Liquiir can also get an erection, which I'm actually starting to feel, it's both weird but at the same time right. Let's see what else feels right.

I pulled away from his lips and latched onto the right side of his neck. Ignoring his somewhat dense fur, I began licking and nibbling it, causing him to squirm delightedly under me. "Oh. Oh, Beerus," he moaned through a purr. "Uh, wait. Wait, stop, please." I ceased my actions as requested and looked carefully at him.

 **Lord Beerus:** "What's wrong? Was I going too fast?"

 **Lord Liquiir:** "N-no. Yes. I-I don't want to go too far. We still have to undergo the ceremony before we're officially life mates. It's taboo to continue any further before then. I'm sorry to disappoint you..." I scoffed.

 **Lord Beerus:** "Come now, don't be ridiculous. I'm not so sex crazed or inconsiderate that I'd ignore your cultures and traditions for my own personal gratification. I would never _purposely_ ignore them...unless they were really stupid." He laughed a little at that. "I can wait and we can just cuddle instead. Okay?" He nodded.

 **Lord Liquiir:** "Yeah...that sounds good." From the slightly disappointed tone in his voice, it doesn't sound that way to me. It makes sense, of course, when you factor in that millions of years of abstaining from sex must have made him really pent up. Because of tradition, he's more or less forced to go agonizingly slow when it comes to physicality in romance. It sucks because there's only so much you can do on your own, but luckily, I can always help with that.

I rolled us to the right onto our sides, still face to face, with his tails still around me. He moved his legs and entangled them with mine instinctively. He then moved his head under my muzzle and delightedly sighed. I notice that I tend to be in the masculine role when it comes to positions like this. The only thing that makes it feel slightly off is that he's an inch taller than me. So, even if I was acting like the big spoon, as I am right now, I'd still technically be the little spoon. "Thank you, Beerus," he said suddenly.

 **Lord Beerus:** "For what?"

 **Lord Liquiir:** "For not giving up on me. For being here." He grabbed my right paw with his left and entwined his fingers with mine. "And for being mine." I smiled.

 **Lord Beerus:** "Of course. I wouldn't have it any other way." Wow, that sounded painfully cliché. But what can you do? Truths tend to be cliché.

 **Lord Liquiir:** "That's good to hear. I wouldn't have it any other way, either." He removed his head from under my muzzle and looked into my eyes. "I was wondering, do you have to get back to your universe?" I shrugged.

 **Lord Beerus:** "I highly doubt it. And at this point, fuck my universe. I want to stay here with you and I'm certain that they'll be fine without me." We shared a small laugh. Obviously not the healthiest way to think about one's own universe, but Liquiir and I deserve this time together.

 **Lord Liquiir:** "Fair enough. I'd feel the same way if I was in your home." He gave me a quick kiss on the lips. "Goodnight, Beerus." I kissed him back.

 **Lord Beerus:** "Goodnight, Liquiir. Let's get some sleep." Yet another thing we deserve. With that being said, I let go of his paw and wrapped my arms around his back, holding him closely and protectively. He copied my actions and eventually returned his head to its former place under my muzzle. I closed my eyes. I'm so comfortable right now that I'm not even going to attempt to cover us with a blanket. I know for a fact that he's not going to, either.

 **Lord Liquiir:** "Before we sleep, I'd like to hear you say one thing."

 **Lord Beerus:** "What's that?" I asked, still keeping my eyes closed.

 **Lord Liquiir:** "I'll let _you_ figure it out. I am a cheeky..." I smiled. He really loves being called that, doesn't he?

 **Lord Beerus:** "You're a cheeky bastard. _My_ cheeky bastard."

 **Lord Liquiir:** "You're damn right I am," he answered immediately. We softly chuckled. Despite the hardships that happened, I think that today was one of the best days I've ever had. Focusing on the pleased rumbling in his throat, I drifted off to sleep.

* * *

 **Oof. That was** _ **quite**_ **the journey Beerus and Liquiir went through. In the end, though, it had a nice and sweet ending. Beerus managed to cope with his feelings, understanding himself much better as a result, and fixed the situation. He's staying true to himself and also bettering himself.**

 **He also had the support of his friends and family. Remember that your first line of support will always be your friends and family. You don't have to, but every once in a while you should tell them that you appreciate everything they've done for you. Let them know how important they are!**

 **Now, Beeriquiir is officially here and it's going strong! Yeah, that's right. I combined their names. What are you going to about it? Nothing, that's what! In all seriousness, I'm happy that they found someone important to share the rest of their lives with. I think that's something we can all get on board with. That missing half of you is out there somewhere! I wholeheartedly believe in that!**

 **Now, I hope that memory scene wasn't too confusing when it came to Present and Past Beerus. I made it so that only Past Beerus could speak so that I didn't have to label him as a separate entity whenever he said something. Just a quick and smart solution to do less and more efficient work on my end.**

 **As always, I hope you all enjoyed!** **Until the next chapter, D.F.T.B.A. (Don't Forget To Be Awesome!) Have an awesome day!**


	7. Moving Forward

**Moving Forward**

 **Hello, how are you all doing? That's right, your eyes are functioning properly! This is not a drill! I repeat this is not a drill! I have officially returned!** **After so long, a new chapter is finally out! Thank you all so much for your patience and I'm sorry for the incredibly long hiatus.**

 **With that being said, enough of me. You've all been waiting for the next chapter long enough!**

 **Without any further ado, enjoy!**

* * *

I yawned and stretched my arms and legs while slightly arching my back. I don't know what time it is, but I do know that I don't want to wake up right now. I don't even want to open my eyes. I'm far too comfortable with the blanket that is Liquiir to waste my time with something as trivial as being awake. Even so, I just have this nagging feeling that I have to awaken.

With some very reluctant effort, I cracked open my right eye and looked down. I then smiled at the fox atop of me sleeping blissfully in my arms. Speaking of him, I'm going to enjoy having his lithe form purring on my chest from now on. He let out a tired groan and groggily rolled over onto his back. Still peacefully asleep.

It's funny, actually, how I woke up first. Who would have thought? Of course, Liquiir did go through so much this past week. I can't even begin to imagine what he endured. This must have been his first chance to rest normally since that entire ordeal; it makes perfect sense that he slept longer. He required it far more than I did, after all.

I moved my arms down to hug him around his waist and affectionately tightened my grip on him. Afterward, I carefully moved him up until his head reached under my muzzle. I gave him one kiss each on the top of his head and his ear. Once I did that, I focused on watching the rhythmic rising and falling of his stomach. I'm in no rush, so why not savor this moment before I have to leave for my home universe?

 **Whis:** "Hm. It appears that you have managed to save Liquiir, as well as gaining, dare I say, a significant other in the process." Not wanting to look to the right where the greatly unwelcome voice is, I'm instead continuing to focus on Liquiir. That's why I can't savor anything right now. Because _he_ has invaded this special moment of ours. Such terrible timing. Why must I be forced to deal with him now?

 **Lord Beerus:** "What are you doing here?" I asked in an agitated whisper. "You know that I took my Hexahedron. I don't need you, Whis," I stated coldly. He let out a quiet sigh.

 **Whis:** "A universe can't be without its God of Destruction forever, my lord. I'm simply here to let you know that you must return soon." I wordlessly focused on Liquiir for a few more seconds before I released a disappointed sigh of my own. As much as I don't want to, he's right. I must return to my universe. I wish that it didn't have to be right now, but there's nothing I can do about it. So much about there being no rush.

 **Lord Beerus:** "Very well. Just give me some time to say goodbye to Liquiir. I'll leave soon enough."

 **Whis:** "As you wish," he politely replied. "Please, refrain from taking too long." As soon as he finished with his request, he left. I give no promises to him.

 **Lord Beerus:** "Hey, Liquiir. Liquiir?" He responded with slight fidgeting and another groan. I grinned. I can't even begin to count how many times I've done the same thing. Bringing up my right paw, I started to lightly tap his face. "Come on, Liquiir. You've had enough beauty sleep." Attempting to shake me off, he moved his head repeatedly in sleepy protest. "I'm not going to stop until you wake up." He abruptly ceased his movements and lazily placed his own paw on mine, evidently heeding my warning, and blinked open his eyes.

 **Lord Liquiir:** "B-Beerus? I didn't-" He yawned. "I didn't expect you to be awake before me. What, um...what time is it?" With another yawn, he rolled over onto his stomach, crossed his arms under his chin, and tiredly stared into my eyes. With the paw that was tapping him, I began rubbing small circles into his back.

 **Lord Beerus:** "It's morning. I don't know what the exact time is," I told him while looking over at the window where the sun's rays are shining brightly through it. I then looked back at the groggy Kitsunian. Not only is the sunlight illuminating a good portion of the room, but it's also even making his fur look more radiant than usual. "And I really hate to say this, but I have to return home." He raised his head and gave me a playful pout.

 **Lord Liquiir:** "Aw, really? You can't stay for a little longer?" I smiled at his exaggerated child-like display.

 **Lord Beerus:** "I'm truly sorry, but I can't. I've been away from my universe long enough."

 **Lord Liquiir:** "I'm not so sure. I need a little more convincing before I allow you to leave."

 **Lord Beerus:** "Convincing is what you need, is it? Would a kiss suffice?" He gave me a thoughtful expression and stroked his chin.

 **Lord Liquiir:** "Your inquiry intrigues me. Would the passionate locking of lips satisfy my need of an answer?" he pondered aloud. I tightened my jaw. Don't you dare laugh, Beerus. You must not give in so easily. "Perhaps. This requires testing."

 **Lord Beerus:** "This does require testing. However, if you keep acting so philosophical about it, I'll be glad to convince you with a slap to the face instead." He smiled cheekily.

 **Lord Liquiir:** "I'll stop, but only because it's you." I rolled my eyes.

 **Lord Beerus:** "I feel so honored. Now, enough talk. Come here." I delicately cupped the side of his face and slowly guided him upward until I could catch his lips. Once he deepened the kiss, he wrapped his arms around my neck and melted into my body like chocolate. As for me, I responded by wrapping my own arms around his waist and rolled us over, placing me on top of him. I have a special plan formulating in my mind, but I do not want to enact it yet. I want him to feel as comfortable as possible before doing anything unexpected.

Moving onto something _I've_ been expecting, I wonder where his-oh, there they are. My legs have just gotten one tail each while the third found a home around my waist. I was beginning to think that they weren't going to get involved. It's good that they are because their warmth and softness were greatly missed. Then again, a good blanket, and by extension, a good pillow and bed, know when to come to your rescue.

Now, given how comfortable he clearly is, how we both are, I think that it's time to begin my master plan. No, not think, I'm certain that it's time. I pulled away from Liquiir and gently placed my paw against his cheek. He opened his eyes and leaned into my touch, smiling all the while. I smiled back.

 **Lord Beerus:** "Did I convince you?"

 **Lord Liquiir:** "Certainly. And then some."

 **Lord Beerus:** "Exactly what I want to hear. And guess what? We're not done yet." He's looking at me curiously, but the excitement in his eyes is undeniable.

 **Lord Liquiir:** "Oh? What more is there?"

 **Lord Beerus:** "Just this." Wasting no more time, I locked our lips once again. I then moved my paw to his ear and I started to rub it. He must be thinking that he has simply earned a second kiss and that's all there is to it. He's in for a pleasant surprise. That much I can guarantee.

Parting my lips, I slowly and nervously licked his. I hope that he gets the message and I also hope that he's okay with tongue kissing so soon. He suddenly wrapped his left arm around my neck and placed his right paw on the back of my head. He then opened his mouth just wide enough, granting me access. As it turns out, he is perfectly fine with the idea.

Now that I have his permission, I eagerly, but still carefully, slipped my tongue in. I found his own and prodded it a couple of times. I don't want to move _too_ quickly. With muffled moans emanating from the both of us and curious paws roaming along my back, he completely skipped the process of easing into our kiss and began to explore my mouth feverishly. I returned his fervor, the two of us officially becoming tongue-tied in the most passionate way.

One major difference I can feel as clear as day is that unlike mine, his tongue doesn't have bristles. His is smooth. Now that I think about it, I also have bristles on my...genitals. I highly doubt he does. Hm...this is interesting. For some reason, I'm finding these differences strangely erotic. The sexual implications honestly excite me.

I wonder if he's ever thought about this? If he has, did it lead him to the same thought process? Damn it all, I'm so horny now. We both are and there's not a thing either of us can do about it. Not until after the life mate ceremony, at least.

All right, I believe we've been kissing long enough. I don't, actually, but...my universe, unfortunately, takes priority right now. After who knows how long, we separated, the only thing still connecting us being a small bridge of saliva. I gave him one more quick kiss and smiled. He gave me a satisfied one of his own, looking like he just drank his weight in alcohol.

 **Lord Liquiir:** "That...that..." My smile widened. This is exactly the pleasured reaction I wanted to see out of him. He sounds like he's in a daze, incapable of even _beginning_ his thought, let alone finish it. Let's see if I can get him started.

 **Lord Beerus:** "That...wasn't your average...everyday kiss...was it?" I heavily breathed out through my gentle purr.

 **Lord Liquiir:** "N-no...it wasn't," he replied through his, also finding himself short on oxygen.

 **Lord Beerus:** "Look at that, we took each other's breath away," I happily pointed out. "So...did you enjoy it?"

 **Lord Liquiir:** "To just say that I enjoyed it...would be an understatement. I loved every second of it." I nodded and looked down for a brief second before looking back up.

 **Lord Beerus:** "I can feel that you did." He smiled bashfully.

 **Lord Liquiir:** "Oh. It appears you can." I chuckled.

 **Lord Beerus:** "Yes...it appears I can." Ignoring our erections, I moved my left paw down to the small of his back and firmly held it there. "You might want to wrap your arms around my neck. And unravel your tails from my legs." Nodding, he quickly did as I suggested. As soon as he readied himself, I moved onto my knees, bringing him up with me. We both grunted a little due to short-lived friction between our concealed manhoods. We're only down to our underwear, so concealed is being used loosely.

With that, our new position is secured. Using my other paw, I took his ear in between my thumb and index finger and rubbed it. He gave a small, happy sounding hum. Afterward, he leaned forward, gave me a kiss on my right cheek, and rested his chin on my shoulder. I stopped caressing his ear and moved that paw to his back, slightly above my other.

 **Lord Liquiir:** "I'm sure it frustrates you that we can't do much about our arousals, but don't worry. This won't be forever."

 **Lord Beerus:** "As I said last night, I can wait. I really don't mind. Thank you for your concern, though, Liquiir." I slowly moved both of my paws up and down along his back appreciatively, the increased volume of his purring sounding off his approval of the gesture. He tightened his grip around my neck slightly.

 **Lord Liquiir:** "Of course, Beerus. You will always be worth my concern." I will always be worth his concern...and he means that with every fiber of his being. Sharing tender moments such as this with him and knowing just how much he cares for me is truly wonderful. In a strange way, it's also liberating. That alone make the trials we had to endure to get to this point all worth it. Also, needless to say, the fact that we quickly went from passionate to something much more heartfelt makes me very happy.

I glanced behind him at his slowly wagging tails. I feel tempted to reach out and pet them, but I don't want to risk turning him on again. We're both finally starting to recover from our euphoric high and the sooner I prepare to leave, the less chance there is of Whis barging in and ruining this moment. For now, I would like to keep interactions between the Angel and myself as brief as possible.

 **Lord Beerus:** "Liquiir? I must leave for my universe, now." He moved his head back to look at me and nodded.

 **Lord Liquiir:** "That sounds good. I've kept you long enough." He warmly smiled. "The next time we see each other, which shouldn't be too long from now, we're going to discuss the details of our life mate ceremony. Okay?" I returned his smile.

 **Lord Beerus:** "Okay. I'll be looking forward to that." With nothing more to say, we separated from one another. I got off of the bed and did a quick stretch. Once that was done, I started to put on my clothes, starting with my pants. As I was in the middle of putting them on, I looked over to my left at the opposite side of the bed. Liquiir's gathering his own attire in his right arm, but he's not putting anything on. He suddenly glanced up and noticed me looking at him questioningly.

 **Lord Liquiir:** "I haven't taken a shower in a week and I want to do that first," he explained. "That's why I'm not putting anything on."

 **Lord Beerus:** "I see. Are you entirely certain that you need to? Your body wash is practically infused into your fur and DNA at this point," I joked. He smiled.

 **Lord Liquiir:** "I know, but better safe than sorry." I smiled back.

 **Lord Beerus:** "Right. That makes sense." As I resumed dressing, my smile slowly gave way to a frown as I looked down and breathed a sad sigh to myself. I feel like there will always be that small feeling of guilt because of the state I placed Liquiir in. No matter how many times he says it's okay and no matter how happy I make him in the future, it will most likely always be there. Now that I've finished putting on the entirety of my apparel, I stood up straight and placed my arms behind my back, looking out the nearby window to my right.

 **Lord Liquiir:** "Beerus? Are you okay?" the Kitsunian softly asked from beside me. He wrapped his right arm around my shoulders. I turned my head to him.

 **Lord Beerus:** "Yes, I'm okay. Don't worry about it." I glanced at his clothes on the bed behind him before returning my gaze to him. I smirked. "You should go and take that shower. Enjoy the peace and quiet. You won't be alone when you take them soon enough." He returned with a knowing smile of his own.

 **Lord Liquiir:** "You were expecting a joke, weren't you? As it happens, I don't have one. Why joke about an inevitability?" I nodded respectfully.

 **Lord Beerus:** "Excellent point." He gave me a kiss on my lips.

 **Lord Liquiir:** "I know." He took his arm back and walked to his clothes on the bed, where he then proceeded to pick them up. "You should get going. You're stalling at this point with you just watching me." I chuckled.

 **Lord Beerus:** "That's a shame, I was enjoying the view. But, very well. I'll see you when the time comes."

 **Lord Liquiir:** "That you will." Finished with gathering everything, he stood up straight and began walking toward the door.

 **Lord Beerus:** "I...I love you, Liquiir," I called out before he could reach it. He stopped, turned around, and looked at me. The loving expression he has is so pure that it's making my heart skip a couple of beats.

 **Lord Liquiir:** "Wow, you beat me to it. I love you, too, Beerus," he replied while happily waving. I waved back. He stopped after a couple of seconds and left the room, closing the door behind him softly. I brought the paw that I used to wave down to my chest. I then made a fist and tightened it.

What was I thinking earlier? Liquiir wouldn't want me to suffer from a guilty conscience, especially since he has already moved on from the incident. Instead of dwelling on what was, I need to focus on what is and what will be; that's far more important than feeling sorry for myself like _I'm_ the victim when I have no right to. Filled with a new sense of determination, I briskly walked over to the window and opened it. Not bothering to close the window, I just as quickly flew outside and in no time at all touched down ten feet away from the Hexahedron.

 **Whis:** "There you are!" Whis excitedly called from in front of me. "I was beginning to wonder if you had fallen back asleep." He's laughing at his own condescending joke. Bastard. Crossing my arms in front of me, I angrily huffed and turned my head away. I can't even stomach looking at him right now. It would piss me off more.

 **Lord Beerus:** "Shut up," I venomously spat. "Just shut your mouth, Whis. I have no interest in dealing with you or your condescension!" His laughter quickly stopped.

 **Whis:** "Oh, dear. Why so hostile, my lord?" A low growl escaped from my throat.

 **Lord Beerus:** "You wouldn't understand empathy if it punched you in the face! Are you truly unable to fathom why I am upset?! Ah, why do you have to be so infuriating?!" I took several shaky breaths and forced myself to relax my body. I want to avoid accidentally damaging Liquiir's home. "But...this isn't new. You've always been this way," I muttered. I don't know why I expected anything more from him. Why I expected that he would reach some sort of epiphany. He will never change his ways. He will always just be the creature known as Whis.

I calmly turned my body and faced him. He's taking me seriously. I can tell because he doesn't look amused at my outburst, which is something he tends to be whenever I lash out at him or others. He also doesn't appear surprised or displeased. He is showing nothing but genuine interest. Except...hold on. I looked at him more carefully. No, there is something else. I didn't notice it until now, but there's a mark on the left side of Whis' face. It's very faint, but it's there.

 **Whis:** "Yes? Is there something else you wish to say?"

 **Lord Beerus:** "Where did that mark appear from?" He placed his hand on the area in question.

 **Whis:** "Ah, so it is still here?" He lowered his hand from his face, placed it behind his back, and smiled...amusedly. Ugh. "This battle wound is the result of your mother." My eyes widened.

 **Lord Beerus:** "Really? Mom's responsible for that?"

 **Whis:** "Indeed." A smile of my own crept onto my face. Finally. I'm glad Whis has received some sort of comeuppance for his behavior, even if it is small. You really are the greatest mom in the multiverse.

 **Lord Beerus:** "Is that so? How unfortunate for you," I told him without a hint of pity in my voice. My smiled widened. "Now then, tell me how this came about." He obediently nodded.

 **Whis:** "As you wish. I imagine this is not what you want to hear, but once you left to seek advice, I carefully monitored you with my staff."

 **Lord Beerus:** "I assumed as much," I cooly replied, my large grin slowly decreasing to a normal size.

 **Whis:** "After you had finished speaking with everyone and gained enough confidence to go to Lord Liquiir, I took the liberty of visiting Tina so that we could have a discussion, ourselves."

 **Lord Beerus:** "Hm...a 'discussion'?" I stared at him suspiciously. "What was it about?"

 **Whis:** "I found her view on what makes a good God of Destruction...interesting. My hope was that she would elaborate further on the subject and she gladly delivered. Needless to say, with our different viewpoints on the matter, we quickly found ourselves in a debate." Something tells me that their debate was more of an argument if the end result that's resting upon Whis' face is any clue.

 **Lord Beerus:** "Go on. What did you say that lead to her striking you?" He curled his finger under his chin and closed his eyes thoughtfully.

 **Whis:** "Near the end, I informed her that her teachings as a mother were...flawed." I twitched in anger. That's a very bold claim for him to make, but I'm going to let him continue. Even though I want to tell him off. He opened his eyes and returned his hand behind his back. "Allow me to clarify. They were relevant and welcome until you and Lord Champa were chosen to be the next Gods of Destruction. Afterward, her mortal perspective of the multiverse no longer had a place in your divine upbringings. She cannot possibly comprehend what a Destroyer needs. What a Destroyer requires to be truly successful." I glared at him.

 **Lord Beerus:** "What about _your_ teachings?"

 **Whis:** "My teachings? Forgive me, but could you please be more specific?"

 **Lord Beerus:** "You know damn well what I mean! What about _your_ teachings?!" I repeated much, much more loudly for anything within hearing range to hear. "Do _you_ comprehend the _Hell_ you put me through?!" He softly sighed and lowered his head slightly.

 **Whis:** "I will concede that my methods may have been too harsh."

 **Lord Beerus:** "No, they were most certainly too harsh."

 **Whis:** "But," he continued with his index finger raised, "I did what I felt was necessary to make you as effective a God of Destruction as possible." Without thinking, I angrily stomped toward Whis. It's taking everything ounce of restraint I have from simply running to him and trying to get a few punches in. Once close enough, I grabbed the cloth of his maroon robe near his neck and forcibly pulled him down so that we're now roughly eye level. His expression has grown more serious, though, he's not making any moves to escape my hold on him.

 **Lord Beerus:** "What you felt was necessary nearly killed me countless times," I harshly whispered. "What you felt was necessary made me hate, even scared, to be around you. What you felt was necessary almost made me quit."

 **Whis:** "I was training you to be strong and resilient in both body and mind," he replied without missing a beat. "Additionally, I was training you to move on from your mortal mindset and adopt one that's more appropriate for a God of Destruction."

 **Lord Beerus:** "Explain to me exactly what this 'mortal mindset' is that you speak of. Why was it vital to have me repress it?"

 **Whis:** "As you know, a God of Destruction is to remain neutral. Based on their judgment, they decide if a planet is beneficial or a hindrance to their universe. They must decide whether to destroy it or allow it to flourish, so as to keep a healthy balance. Most new Destroyers find this concept exceptionally challenging. Some don't want the lives of many to be on their hands, which leads to them refusing to do their job at all. Why accept the position at all if that's the case? Because of the perks that are granted upon them or because they hardly put any thought into what the job truly entailed." Is that an intentional jab at my brother and I? Admittedly, when the positions were offered to us, we were enamored with the benefits. Greatly extended life and unbelievable power. Living in luxury and getting a chance to explore the universe, not being trapped forever on a single planet. The idea that we'd hardly have to do anything but destroy things every now and again.

Somehow, our young minds didn't put into perspective what destroying actually meant until after we had already agreed to take on the position. It's exactly how Whis already explained. We found it difficult at first to accept that countless lives depended solely on our judgment of them. And so, neither of us could bring ourselves to destroy anything for the longest time.

 **Lord Beerus:** "Those are only some Gods of Destruction. Tell me about the others."

 **Whis:** "Others believe that every planet is worth saving. Even if they do find glaring flaws that would only serve to hurt their universe, they would rather act like a hero and naively try to repair what is unable to be fixed. Some could spend decades, centuries, and their endeavors would still be for naught."

 **Lord Beerus:** "And that stems largely from their compassion, correct?" He nodded in confirmation. "What of Liquiir? Is he not compassionate toward mortals?"

 **Whis:** "He is, however, there is a difference. As you know, Lord Liquiir is quite mature and astute. When he chooses to be, of course. Even in his transitional phase to God of Destruction, he was still capable of separating his feelings and he understood his new role. He understood almost immediately that some planets are simply irredeemable." My grip loosened slightly on the Angel.

 **Lord Beerus:** "That's why you were so hard on me. Because I was so reluctant when I first started, you were literally beating into me - physically and mentally - what it meant to be a God of Destruction."

 **Whis:** "Correct. I was never advocating for a complete lack of compassion, nor ignorance to the plight of mortals or others in general. I was promoting a greater sense of understanding of your duties and your role to the multiverse, which ties into neutrality, and overall dedication to your own universe. I would say my efforts were successful. You eventually matured in your ways of thinking." My grip tightened.

 **Lord Beerus:** "Perhaps I matured _too_ much. You clearly saw the difference in me. At any point did you ever think that the change was too great?" He shook his head.

 **Whis:** "No, I did not. Your core personality remained intact. All that changed was your understanding."

 **Lord Beerus:** "Fine. Then explain to me why you wanted me to abandoned Liquiir."

 **Whis:** "As I said, dedication to your universe is key. He is not a part of it. I felt that concerning yourself with him would harm Universe 7 in the long run. Even now, I can't imagine any benefit this relationship will grant." My hold on his robe is tightening to the point where my claws are stabbing through the fabric and digging into my own paw. Not even a day has passed and I'm drawing blood from myself yet again. Some of it is running down my forearm and onto the floor. The rest is soaking into the dark red cloth.

I angrily bared my teeth. It's unfair. It's unfair, damn it! I'm injuring myself and yet the object of my ire is untouched and he will inevitably, unfortunately, stay that way. He's one of the few beings I can't assault. Even if I was somehow strong enough to hurt him, to kill him, my deed would not go unnoticed. The punishment would be no less than my immediate erasure. Perhaps my entire universe would share my fate in that situation as well, which would be absurd, but it's not that far-fetched for the Omni-Kings. I audibly growled in aggravation.

 **Lord Beerus:** "Why is everything about my universe? What about _me_? What about _my_ needs? Am _I_ not allowed to be happy?"

 **Whis:** "You most certainly are, within reason. Your life as a God of Destruction is to serve the multiverse and the Omni-Kings. Your primary focus should be on what happens within your universe, not what happens outside of it. Something as drastic as this loving relationship will impede your purpose as a God of Destruction." I tugged on his robe and brought him a little closer.

 **Lord Beerus:** "What utter nonsense you're spouting!" I hissed. "What you claim should be done is not necessarily what must be done. There is no set way of going about your job as a God of Destruction! If that was the case, Korn would have punished Liquiir for pursuing this relationship with me long ago! Do you have an answer for that?"

 **Whis:** "It is true that there is no set way to be a God of Destruction, as there is also no set way of teaching. Still, I firmly hold the belief that my methods and ideology are effective." He does have a rebuttal. Of course.

 **Lord Beerus:** "Really? If they're so effective, then why is our universe in such a poor state? Keep in mind that Liquiir wasn't taught to close off his heart and keep others at arm's length. Yet, his universe is thriving."

 **Whis:** "The effectiveness is dependent," he simply told me.

 **Lord Beerus:** "It's 'dependent'? Dependent on what? The individual? As in me? Are you saying that even after adopting your way of thinking I was doing it wrong? Why did you never say anything?"

 **Whis:** "After all of my lessons finally sunk in, I allowed you the freedom to do with your newfound knowledge and understanding as you pleased." I scoffed.

 **Lord Beerus:** "You're unbelievable. All you ever wanted was mindless devotion to your ideology. It never mattered if I did a poor job as a God of Destruction, so long as I didn't deviate from the path you laid out for me. Which, I regrettably did not until recently." I shook my head in disbelief. I'm ashamed of myself that it took me so long to realize this. "That's it. I'm done with you." With a great deal of effort, I released my tight grip on him. Looking down sourly at my sore and bloody paw, I began flexing it in an attempt to make it feel even a little better. With all of this talk of believing, I believe that I learned far more from _him_ than I ever did from Whis.

 **Whis:** "Would you like me to heal you?" I looked up at him in disgust.

 **Lord Beerus:** "I don't want anything to do with you. Stay away from me." I briskly walked past him and stepped into the Hexahedron. I then sat down and crossed my arms and legs with my back turned to the false Angel. "I am going to Earth and I am going to stay there until further notice. You keep to yourself and do not attempt to contact me. Or any of the Earthlings, for that matter. Your presence from here on should be effectively nonexistent." The Hexahedron began floating upward immediately after I finished my sentence. Once high enough, it sped away for Universe 7 and Earth. Most importantly, with me, not Whis, secured inside it. Closing my eyes, I deeply breathed in and out through my nose several times.

I never thought the day would come. The day where I leave Whis. Is it permanent? No, sadly. This extreme measure of mine is only until I can stand being around him once more. He is right about one thing, as much as I hate to admit it: with Liquiir and I both being Destroyers, literally having an entire universe separating us, it's going to prove to be a challenge trying to balance our lives as life mates and Gods of Destruction.

Still, that's a far cry compared to the worst of our woes, which are already behind us. It's a given that there are going to be other obstacles on our path. But, we _will_ clear them and we _will_ figure out a way to make everything work. It's only a matter of time before all of our difficulties are put to an end.

* * *

 **There we have it, chapter seven! I know that this chapter is shorter than usual, but I felt that this was a good stopping point. Considering how dialogue-heavy this was, anything more probably would have been too much.**

 **I'm just beyond happy that my life is stable enough to where I can upload and write new chapters again. Still, with that being said, uploading will be a bit harder than before.** **I don't want to bore all of you with the details here. So, I will explain why I went on a hiatus and why uploading will be more difficult over on ToD at a later point.**

 **As always, I hope you all enjoyed! Again, I want to thank everyone who patiently waited. You're all the real M.V.P.s! D.F.T.B.A. (Don't Forget To Be Awesome!) Have an awesome day!**


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